Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Development Officer
at Center for Science in the Public Interest
🏢 About Center for Science in the Public Interest
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a nonprofit watchdog and advocacy organization that has been at the forefront of food safety, nutrition, and health policy since 1971. Unlike many think tanks, CSPI combines rigorous scientific research with aggressive advocacy—successfully pushing for trans fat bans, menu labeling, and healthier school meals. Working here means directly influencing policies that affect what millions of Americans eat every day.
About This Role
As Senior Development Officer, you will own a portfolio of foundation donors—private, family, and state-based—and drive the full cultivation-to-stewardship cycle. You'll craft compelling proposals that connect CSPI's programmatic work (e.g., reducing sodium in processed foods, fighting misleading food marketing) to funders' interests. This role is pivotal in expanding CSPI's institutional funding base, with a clear path to advanced leadership as the development program grows.
💡 A Day in the Life
You might start your day with a virtual check-in with the Senior Development Director to align on pipeline priorities, then spend the morning drafting a proposal for a family foundation focused on health equity. After lunch, you'd meet with a program director to gather impact data for a report to a state-based foundation, and later join a call with a prospective funder to discuss a new initiative on food safety. You'd end by updating the CRM and planning follow-up steps for your portfolio.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Center for Science in the Public Interest Is Looking For
- 5+ years of frontline foundation fundraising experience, with a proven track record of securing five- and six-figure grants from private and family foundations.
- Deep understanding of food systems, public health, or nutrition policy—or demonstrated ability to quickly master CSPI's program areas and articulate their impact to funders.
- Exceptional writing and storytelling skills, with experience tailoring proposals to diverse funder priorities (e.g., health equity, consumer protection, scientific integrity).
- Collaborative mindset, comfortable working with program staff, finance, and executive leadership to align fundraising strategy with organizational goals.
📝 Tips for Applying to Center for Science in the Public Interest
Highlight specific foundation fundraising wins: quantify the number of grants secured, total dollars raised, and types of funders (e.g., 'secured $1.2M from 8 family foundations for nutrition policy work').
Demonstrate familiarity with CSPI's recent campaigns—mention at least one specific initiative (e.g., the Healthy Retail Project or the lawsuit against Coca-Cola) in your cover letter to show you've done your homework.
Emphasize your ability to work remotely and independently: CSPI's development team is distributed, so provide examples of how you've managed donor relationships and internal collaboration across time zones.
Address the 'growth potential' aspect: express enthusiasm for evolving into a leadership role as CSPI expands its development program, and hint at your long-term commitment.
Use language that mirrors CSPI's values: equity, science-based advocacy, and health for all communities. Avoid generic nonprofit jargon; instead, tie your experience to CSPI's mission of improving health regardless of race, income, or education.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your direct experience managing a portfolio of foundation donors and growing institutional revenue, with metrics.', "Why CSPI's mission resonates with you personally or professionally—connect to food safety, nutrition, or health equity.", 'Your ability to translate complex scientific and policy work into compelling cases for support, ideally with an example.', 'Your collaborative approach to working with program staff and leadership, and your interest in long-term growth within the organization.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Review CSPI's annual reports and recent press releases to understand their major program areas and victories (e.g., trans fat elimination, menu labeling).
- → Research CSPI's foundation funding history using public sources like ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer or the Foundation Directory Online to identify current and past funders.
- → Read the Senior Development Director's LinkedIn profile and any public interviews to understand their vision for the foundation fundraising program.
- → Familiarize yourself with key food policy issues CSPI works on, such as the Farm Bill, healthy school meals, and food marketing to children, to speak knowledgeably in interviews.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic cover letter that could apply to any nonprofit—CSPI wants to see specific knowledge of their mission and programs.
- Focusing only on dollar amounts raised without explaining how you built relationships and tailored proposals to funder interests.
- Neglecting to mention remote work experience or self-motivation, as CSPI's team is distributed and requires strong independent management.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Center for Science in the Public Interest!