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Development Associate

Children's Cancer Association | JoyRx, Portland, OR, United States


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

Assist 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

Alignment with CCA’s Values
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.

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

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.

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