Association of African American Museums

Name

Association of African American Museums

Legal name

Association of African American Museums

Website

https://blackmuseums.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Museum association services
• Museum professional development
• Cultural heritage advocacy
• Museum grant administration
• Museum membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AAAM generates revenue through annual membership dues from individual, institutional, corporate, and affiliate members. Dues are collected at any time during the year and renewals are due annually.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue generated from conference registration fees at the AAAM annual conference. Conference pricing varies by membership status (member vs. non-member) and registration period (early, regular, late).
3. Grants and Fundraising: AAAM receives grants from foundations (Mellon Foundation, Lilly Endowment) and government agencies (IMLS, NEH) to support organizational capacity, operations, and member programs. Nearly $8 million has been raised for the association under current leadership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AAAM is a non-profit membership association that serves African American museums, cultural institutions, and museum professionals through tiered membership programs, an annual conference, professional development courses, grant administration in partnership with the National Park Service, and national advocacy for Black museums. Members and the broader field access resources through a Wild Apricot-powered membership portal, the AAAM Communities online platform, publications, and targeted programs such as the Emerging Museum Professionals initiative.

Product overview

The Association of African American Museums (AAAM) operates as a non-profit member organization serving African and African American focused museums nationally and internationally. AAAM provides a unified platform of services including annual conferences, professional development programs through partnerships (notably with AASLH), grant administration via the AACRN program, membership management, and advocacy initiatives. The organization supports its over 1,200 individual and institutional members through the Wild Apricot-powered membership portal, the AAAM Communities online platform, and the Emerging Museum Professionals program. Key offerings include the flagship annual conference (2026 scheduled for Philadelphia), the Aesthetic Inheritance Symposium, the AAAM & AACRN Grant Program, and member-only publications and resources. AAAM serves as the principal voice for the African American museum movement, strengthening and advocating for institutions committed to preserving African-derived cultures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual AAAM Conference AAAM's flagship annual conference bringing together museum professionals worldwide for professional development, networking, plenary sessions, concurrent sessions, awards, receptions, and an exhibition hall. Open to members and non-members with tiered pricing.
• AAAM Membership Program Tiered membership program comprising individual, institutional, corporate, and affiliate categories with annual dues, providing access to member-only resources, publications, professional development, grants, conference discounts, and the AAAM Communities online platform.
• Professional Development Resources via AASLH Partnership Through the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) partnership, AAAM members access courses such as Introduction to Financial Management, Financial Structures and Strategies, and Introduction to Fundraising at member rates, with free History News magazine.
• AAAM & AACRN Grant Program Grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 awarded to eligible AACRN member organizations, covering survey, planning, research, documentation, interpretation, education, collection conservation, digitization, GIS mapping, website enhancements, custom mobile app development, accessibility, and AR/VR projects.
• Emerging Museum Professionals (EMP) Program Workforce development program supporting early-career museum professionals and HBCU students through mentorship, networking, professional development, and the HBCU Internship Initiative offering $10,000 paid internships with one-year AAAM membership and conference registration.
• Aesthetic Inheritance: Art, Archive, and African American Life Symposium A three-day symposium convening scholars, artists, and cultural workers to explore African American art, archives, memory, and historical documentation, hosted by Bowie State University.
• AAAM Communities Online Platform Online member community platform for peer networking, resource sharing, and professional discussions, hosted on Higher Logic Connected Community.
• AAAM Publications Restricted member-only access to AAAM publications, reports, scholarly content, and field-specific materials including lesson plans and oral histories.
• AAAM Advocacy Initiatives National advocacy representing the interests of institutions and individuals committed to African and African-derived cultures, including advocacy for federal funding such as the NEH and policy efforts through the Directors of Museum Associations coalition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Membership grew by more than 290% and conference attendance increased by 88% since 2019 under Dr. Vedet Coleman-Robinson's leadership.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bowie State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2026Host institution for the Aesthetic Inheritance: Art, Archive, and African American Life Symposium, October 1-3, 2026. Symposium venue for October 2-3, 2026.
• Maryland Commission on African American History and CultureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2026Co-presenter of the Aesthetic Inheritance: Art, Archive, and African American Life Symposium alongside Bowie State University and Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum.
• Banneker-Douglass-Tubman MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2026Co-presenter of the Aesthetic Inheritance: Art, Archive, and African American Life Symposium. Opening plenary on October 1, 2026 will be held at this museum.
• American Association for State and Local History (AASLH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Ongoing partnership to provide expanded professional development resources and learning opportunities to AAAM members. AAAM members have access to select AASLH professional development courses at the discounted AASLH member rate, including Introduction to Financial Management, Financial Structures and Strategies, and Introduction to Fundraising. Additionally, AASLH makes History News magazine available free of charge to the AAAM community.
• Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NMAAHC is a sponsor of the AAAM2026 conference. The museum was founded with AAAM's support and collaboration. AAAM worked with Freelon-Bond and Lord Cultural Resources to obtain input from the field for the museum. Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director of NMAAHC, maintains close ties with AAAM.
• TD BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026TD Bank is the inaugural official sponsor of the 2026 J.O.Y. | Juneteenth on the Yard event hosted by the International African American Museum (IAAM), an AAAM member institution. TD has been a supporter of IAAM since its founding in 2016 as a founding donor.
• Lord Cultural ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Lord Cultural Resources partnered with AAAM for the Fellowship 2020 program, a fellowship designed for Black Americans in museums, arts, and cultural spaces.
• Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership supporting AAAM's work and programming through foundation funding.
• Directors of Museum AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020An informal group of museum association executive directors throughout the United States and Canada focused on advocacy for museums and cultural organizations. AAAM participates in this coalition which has sent advocacy letters to Congress requesting funds for museums and cultural sites.
• American Alliance of Museums (AAM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020AAM is part of the Directors of Museum Associations coalition alongside AAAM for joint advocacy efforts.
• American Association for State and Local History (AASLH)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020AASLH is part of the Directors of Museum Associations coalition and has collaborated with AAAM on professional development initiatives.
• National Park Service (General)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with National Park Service for community grant writing training related to Colonel Charles Young Home and Buffalo Soldiers Monument, as well as digital humanities training initiatives.
• National Park Service – African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAAM administers the AAAM & AACRN Grant Program in partnership with the National Park Service's African American Civil Rights Network. Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 for eligible organizations that have joined the AACRN by the specified deadline. Eligible costs include survey and planning, research and documentation, interpretation and education, collection conservation, augmented reality/virtual reality, digitization, GIS mapping, website enhancements, custom mobile app development, and accessibility projects.
• DuSable MuseumminorOthersDuSable Museum is a core institutional member of AAAM and one of the foundational African American museums in the field.
• Wright Museum (Detroit)minorOthersWright Museum in Detroit is a core institutional member of AAAM, recognized for its evolution and adaptation in the museum field.
• Anacostia Museum (Smithsonian)minorOthersSmithsonian Anacostia Museum is a core institutional member of AAAM, known for innovative community-centered exhibitions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackmuseums
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFYodg7OBuxPuJixzsKHBEQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackMuseums
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackmuseums
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackmuseums/?ref=badge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of African American Museums