Development Associate

Who We Are:

Children’s Cancer Association was founded in 1995 by the Ellis family after their five-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died of cancer. Their goal was to create something extraordinary: an organization with a new vision for what pediatric cancer support services look like. Today, the JoyRx Mentorship, Nature, and Music programs reach thousands of hospitalized children of all ages and diagnoses. Our programs reach children where they are — and make their tough days a little brighter.

Simply put — joy helps sick kids feel better.

Who You Are/Position Summary:

As the Development Associate, you provide essential administrative and operational support to the Development team, helping ensure smooth execution of fundraising campaigns, events, and donor engagement activities.

In this role, you will be the point person for key functions such as event registration, and logistical support for CCA events and partner initiatives. You will manage core administrative responsibilities including accurate gift processing, in-kind receipting, donor acknowledgments, and mail, while partnering closely with Finance to support accurate and timely daily development deposits.

You will maintain donor records, support reporting, and assist with campaign and event coordination to keep projects on track. While this role does not manage a donor portfolio, you play a critical role in delivering a positive and organized donor experience through accuracy, responsiveness, and attention to detail.

You will work closely with the Development team to support fundraising goals, strengthen internal processes, and contribute to the overall success of CCA’s mission. This position reports to the VP of Marketing and Development.

Essential Functions

DEVELOPMENT EVENTS

• Provide support for CCA development events, including as point person for the guest registration processes, sharing auction support when needed, and onsite event support for PNW regional events
• Support communication and coordination with external event contractors and third-party partners
• Assist with event logistics and systems (e.g., registration, auction entry, volunteer coordination) to ensure smooth execution
• Identify opportunities to improve event processes
• Assists with volunteer coordination for fundraising events

DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS & ADMINISTRATION

• Process donor gifts and ensure timely and accurate acknowledgments, including in-kind receipting and donor communications
• Manage incoming and outgoing donor-related mail and support general administrative needs of the Development team
• Partner with Finance to support accurate and timely daily development deposits
• Support execution of development campaigns and initiatives (e.g., raffles, appeals, events)
• Run reports and maintain accurate donor data in RE NXT
• Assist with process improvements and support cross-functional coordination with Finance, Brand, and Data teams
• Support additional development projects as assigned

DONOR SUPPORT

• Support donor engagement efforts through timely acknowledgments, accurate record-keeping, and responsive follow-up
• Assist with matching gift processes, including tracking, submissions, and documentation
• Collaborate with Development and Marketing teams to support donor communications and stewardship efforts
• Assist with special projects, donor proposals, and research initiatives

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to consistently handle confidential information
• Approach responsibilities with a general understanding of business administration, finance, risk management and program operations
• Demonstrated ability to establish professional relationships and alliance with the leadership team
• Able to ensure a high level of trust with sensitive and confidential information
• Strong skills and affinity for using a variety of technology and tools to effectively get work done to meet deadlines with a professional working knowledge of Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Excellent organizational, writing, presentation and active communication skills
• Focused, problem solver, reliable and able to meet deadlines
• Experience with Raisers Edge, or similar development software for gift processing is required
• Experience with Asana, or similar project collaboration software is a plus

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and experience
• Experience supporting major donor events
• Ability to cultivate and strengthen relationships
• Experience interacting with C suite
• Non-profit experience a plus

Alignment with CCA’s Values: These values guide everything we do—from how we care for families to how we shape and share our programs:

Compassion: We lead with heart, authenticity, and kindness.

Community: We know joy is a ripple effect. Collaboration and connection are at the core of everything we do.

Creativity: We believe in the importance of play, imagination, and the healing power of music. We make space for inspiration and creativity in our ways of working and engaging.

Care: We care for our mission, our resources, and each other with integrity and respect. We are stewards of the generosity and the trust that is placed in us.

Curiosity: Inspired by the wonders of childhood, we stay open to new ideas, fresh perspectives, and magical moments that spark joy in unexpected ways. We honor innovation as central to our legacy.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

CCA is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and we believe that a diverse staff of highly skilled and creative individuals is necessary to achieve the vision and mission of the organization. We strive to create a work environment that reflects the communities we serve where everyone feels empowered to bring their whole, authentic selves to work, fully as they identify. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our workforce across a range of dimensions

Compensation & Benefits:

This position offers a competitive benefits package and an hourly pay range starting at $24/hr. Final offer amounts and levels are determined by multiple factors, including your experience, and may vary from the amounts listed above.

Generous benefits include:

• Heavily subsidized medical, vision, dental, and alternative care benefits
• Generous PTO package, paid wellness days, and ten (plus two floating) paid holidays
• Voluntary short- and long-term disability
• Flexible spending plan
• 401(k) with 3.5 percent CCA match
• Paid four-week sabbatical to pursue creative talents after eight years of service
• Professional development annual benefit
• Subsidized on-site parking or public transportation reimbursement.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time (40 hours/week) non-exempt position. Some flexibility in hours is allowed; days and hours of work are generally Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am – 5:30 pm, and Friday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm. Due to the nature of daily gift processing and mail needs, this position is an in-office role, Monday – Friday, in the Portland, Oregon office. Typically, CCA employees have the option for remote work on Mondays and Fridays, but that is not an option with this role. This position requires occasional evening hours and weekend work for events.

Application Guidelines:

Complete the application through our application portal and answer the following two questions in your cover letter:

1. Tell us how your previous work history has prepared you for this role.
2. Tell us if the compensation and benefits listed above meet your needs.

To learn more about Children’s Cancer Association, visit JoyRx.org.

Watch Founder and Chief Joy Officer Regina Ellis’ TEDx Talk on the Joy Effect