2024 CSPI Spring Development Internship

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) offers a paid internship program for students in undergraduate, graduate, law and medical schools, and we also consider postgraduates. These paid internships offer structured work experiences and an opportunity to:

• Gain substantial knowledge of the nonprofit fundraising process for a science-based advocacy organization.
• Participate in group meetings and strategy brainstorming sessions.
• Obtain general research and communication skills by working closely with fundraising, science, policy, legislative and outreach experts.
• Learn how to connect funders to public health advocacy work
• Meet with staff at all levels of the organization to discuss career roles and paths.
• Assess your own interests and skills.
  About CSPI

CSPI is one of the nation’s leading public health advocacy organizations with a 50-year record of fighting for science in the public interest and working to improve the food environment for all. We’ve led efforts to win passage of many state and local policies to improve school foods, put calories on chain restaurant menus and menu boards, and remove sugary drinks from children’s menus. National policy successes include the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act; Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act; Food Safety Modernization Act; and Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act.

About the Internship Opportunity

The intern will work with CSPI’s mid-level and major donor team to conduct donor research, draft meeting briefs, and help to organize donor outreach events. This work will include opportunities to work with the latest tools for research and relationship management. And it will offer opportunities to contribute to communications pieces and pitches for a wide variety of our campaigns, including those to improve the food environment at supermarkets, in restaurants, on campuses, and in correctional facilities; bring greater regulatory oversight of the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries; and hold government and industry to account for the health of our communities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide technical and research assistance to support our work with new and current donors
• Help to identify and cultivate relationships with family foundations, donor advised funds, and institutional funders
• Assist the team in developing well-written, persuasive materials, such as appeals, cultivation letters, briefs, reports, proposals, and email communications
• Monitor, track and present developments in the health fundraising space

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a public health or nutrition undergraduate or graduate degree program
• Excellent research and writing skills with ability to read, analyze, interpret, and summarize philanthropic data
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage tasks appropriately to achieve project goals
• Interest in health equity
• Collaborative work skills

What Else You Should Know 

CSPI pays interns $17.00 per hour. Our 10-week spring intern program is part-time (10 hours per week). The ideal start date is the end of January/early February 2024, but we will work with applicants if there’s a schedule conflict. The internship program is remote within the US, with the opportunity to work from our DC office if desired.

CSPI requires all employees, including paid interns, to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are eligible, and the vaccine is available to them, as part of our efforts to maintain a safe workplace for employees and visitors. Proof of vaccination is required during the onboarding process.
CSPI on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

CSPI is committed to including and valuing diverse voices and fostering a culture that ensures all staff feel a sense of belonging and are encouraged to be their best selves. In that spirit, each of us is committed to putting in constant work to live up to our organization’s core values:

• We are inclusive. We seek to foster an environment where all staff feel a sense of belonging and are affirmed. We are not looking for everyone to think and look the same. We actively welcome and value staff with different experiences, backgrounds, attributes, abilities, and perspectives.
• We are open. We are honest and direct in how we communicate with each other in order to build trust and integrity within our organization.
  We are accountable. We acknowledge and assume responsibility for our actions.
• We are kind. We communicate and treat one another in a respectful, generous, considerate, and compassionate way.
• We are collaborative. We work together for the common good and shared success.

To Apply 

Please utilize CSPI’s Paylocity Applicant Tracking System to apply for the Spring 2024, Development Internship. You must submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and two references. The deadline to apply is November 6, 2023, but applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

CSPI is committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills and encourages people of diverse ages, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, disabilities, religions, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, work, and life experiences to apply.