How to apply for Development Coordinator

About Lung Cancer Foundation of America

The Lung Cancer Foundation of America is a nonprofit that funds lung cancer research and runs patient education and public awareness campaigns. The Development Coordinator role is remote within the US and full-time. The foundation is growing its development team, so this position offers a chance to build fundraising systems and relationships from an early stage.

About the role

The Development Coordinator owns the day-to-day execution of LCFA's fundraising plan. You will manage a portfolio of institutional and corporate funders, foundations, and individual donors, write grant proposals, and steward funders from first contact through gift and reporting. You will also be the primary hands-on manager of the CRM and pipeline, working closely with program and science staff to align promises with delivery.

A typical day

A typical day might include updating the CRM and pipeline, drafting a grant proposal or funder presentation, and calling a lapsed donor to reconnect. You could also meet with program or science staff to confirm what LCFA can deliver to a funder. The role is remote, so you will manage your own schedule and communicate with the development team online.

Who Lung Cancer Foundation of America is looking for

• Early in career and comfortable with a mix of spreadsheet work, presenting to corporate partners, and making phone calls to reconnect with lapsed donors.
• Comes from sales, account management, business development, marketing, consulting, or client services and wants to apply those skills to a mission.
• Can learn the science LCFA funds and its patient education and public awareness campaigns well enough to explain why they matter.
• Brings structure and discipline to a growing development team, with experience managing a CRM or pipeline and writing grant proposals or funder presentations.

Tips for this application

• Highlight any experience managing a CRM or pipeline, even if it was in a sales or account management context, because the role is the primary hands-on manager of LCFA's CRM.
• Include examples of writing grant proposals or funder presentations, or similar persuasive writing such as sales proposals or client reports.
• Show that you can handle both spreadsheets and phone calls by describing a time you analyzed data and then acted on it through outreach.
• Mention any exposure to science, healthcare, or patient education, or state your willingness to learn the science LCFA funds.
• Use your cover letter to explain why you want to move into nonprofit development from your current field, if applicable, since LCFA welcomes candidates from outside nonprofits.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your ability to own the day-to-day execution of a fundraising plan, including revenue goals by channel, activity targets, and quarterly milestones.', 'Experience managing a portfolio of institutional and corporate funders, foundations, or individual donors, and stewarding them from first conversation through gift and reporting.', 'Your hands-on CRM and pipeline management skills, with specific tools or systems you have used.', 'How you will learn the science LCFA funds and its patient education and public awareness campaigns to explain why they matter to funders.']

Research before applying

• Review LCFA's website to understand the specific research it funds and the patient education and public awareness campaigns it runs.
• Look up LCFA's annual reports or public fundraising materials to see revenue goals by channel and recent funders.
• Research the lung cancer nonprofit landscape to understand how LCFA positions itself against other organizations.
• Find out what CRM LCFA uses, if public, or be prepared to ask about it in the interview.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would build and manage a portfolio of institutional and corporate funders, foundations, and individual donors from scratch or with existing supporters.
• Your process for writing a compelling grant proposal or funder presentation, including how you tailor it to different funders.
• How you have used a CRM to track pipeline, report on activity, and steward donors through gift, implementation, and reporting.
• How you would work with program and science staff to ensure what you promise funders is what LCFA delivers.
• How you would learn the science LCFA funds and its patient education and public awareness campaigns well enough to explain why they matter.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming nonprofit experience is required. LCFA explicitly welcomes candidates from sales, account management, business development, marketing, consulting, or client services.
• Focusing only on relationship building and ignoring the spreadsheet and CRM management parts of the role, which are core responsibilities.
• Writing a generic cover letter that does not mention LCFA's science funding, patient education, or public awareness campaigns.