Robert J. Spiller

Rob Spiller is the Smithsonian’s assistant secretary for advancement, directing a team of 300 professionals at the Smithsonian’s 21 museums; National Zoo; libraries; and education, research, outreach and cultural centers. He and the advancement team are responsible for raising $300 million in private support each year. 

Under the leadership of Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, Spiller launched the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future, the largest campaign in Smithsonian history with a goal of $2.5 billion. No other cultural institution has raised this amount in a single campaign.

Culminating in 2026 as the country marks the 250th signing of the Declaration of Independence, all Smithsonian museums and centers are participating in the campaign in support of a single, bold vision: to build a better future for all.  

The Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future sets out four broad themes: Opening Pathways to New Knowledge, Powering Creativity and Innovation, Advancing Sustainability and Discovery, and Illuminating Our Nation’s Past.

In addition, the campaign will raise significant funds for several strategic goals spanning the entire Smithsonian—for example, paid internships, endowed leadership positions, a new digital platform to better access Smithsonian resources, initiatives that foster life on a sustainable planet and America’s 250th. To learn more, visit smithsoniancampaign.org.

Before coming to the Smithsonian in March 2018, Spiller was the associate vice president for development and alumni relations at Johns Hopkins University, where he was a member of the senior management team. His portfolio included the Whiting School of Engineering and Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, corporate relations and international development. He also was instrumental in the design and execution of Johns Hopkins’ “Rising to the Challenge” capital campaign that raised more than $6 billion.

Spiller held many other leadership positions during nearly two decades at Johns Hopkins. He managed gift planning, foundation relations, human resources and talent management. He was the associate dean for development and alumni relations for the Whiting School of Engineering and the director of regional and international programs, raising gifts in the United States and abroad for the university and the School of Medicine.

From 1994 to 2001, Spiller was the senior associate director of major gifts at Yale University. Previously, he was an international business analyst for Litton Industries in Washington, D.C. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his master’s degree in international relations from the University of Virginia.

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