Development Associate

Job Title: Development Associate

Position Type: Full-Time | Hybrid / Flexible Schedule Available

Reports To: Director of Development and Executive Director

Location: Rancho Cordova, CA

Why CCHAT?

For 30 years, the CCHAT Center has been a regional leader in hearing health, empowering children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen, talk, and thrive. We operate with a small, highly collaborative team where every member’s voice matters. If you are naturally curious, love learning, and want your professional skills to change the lives of children and families directly, you will thrive in our culture.

The Opportunity: What You Will Achieve

We are looking for a growth-minded professional who aspires to become the primary architect of CCHAT's premier community events. In this role, you will do more than manage logistics. You will support our long-range strategic priorities, advance the agency’s goals, and persuasively convey the mission of CCHAT to turn followers into lifelong supporters.

In this role, success looks like:

Event Leadership & Revenue Growth

• Strategic Campaign Execution: Plan, coordinate, and lead major annual fundraising campaigns and events (including Bike 4 Fun, CCHAT Uncorked, and Big Day of Giving) as well as cultivation dinners and donor receptions. Serve as a creative thought partner to the development leadership team, bringing innovation to growth initiatives and helping to identify, design, and launch new, unmapped event opportunities.
• Logistics, Timelines, & Data Management: Develop comprehensive event timelines, run-of-show documents, and detailed logistics plans. Secure venues, negotiate contracts, manage vendor relationships, and ensure event revenue, expenses, and peer-to-peer campaign data are seamlessly tracked and error-free against budget goals.
• Guest Experience & Registration Platforms: Ensure a flawless experience for all attendees by serving as a primary point of contact and collaborating closely with development leadership to implement smooth, error-free registration, ticketing, and mobile bidding processes.
• Revenue Generation & Procurement: Creatively secure corporate sponsorships, support in-kind donation solicitation, and manage auction item procurement.
• Post-Event & Stewardship Mastery: Oversee all post-event follow-up procedures, including invoice payments, auction fulfillment, donor acknowledgment letters, and ongoing stewardship. Provide a structured post-event debrief analyzing metrics and notes on what went well, what needs improvement, and strategic recommendations for the future.

Marketing & Strategic Communications

• Long-Range Digital Strategy: Design and execute a cohesive, long-range digital media strategy that moves beyond day-to-day tactical posting to build sustainable brand awareness and cultivate an active pipeline of future donors.
• Mission-Driven Storytelling: Deeply learn the core mission and weave real student success stories into the bi-monthly digital newsletter, website updates, and print or digital promotional assets.
• Campaign Development & Engagement: Plan, build, and launch visually compelling campaigns across social media platforms that tell a purposeful story, drive deep community connection, and strategically transition followers into lifelong supporters.
• Donor & Funder Communications: In conjunction with the Director of Development, assist with creating impactful content for donor thank you letters and emails, donor spotlights, and narrative sections of grant reports.

Development Operations & Administration

• Donor Data Management: With coaching and guidance, manage accurate data entry, donor recognition, gift receipting, and information coordination through the donor management software (GiftWorks/Frontstream).
• Grant & Programmatic Support: Partner with the Director of Development to manage the programmatic requirements of grants, track key milestones, and consistently align daily activities in support of the strategic goals of the organization.
• Community Outreach: Attend community outreach events as needed to represent the organization, build relationships, and support overall development initiatives.

Our Ideal Colleague

• A Habit of Self-Review: You take immense pride in your work and instinctively proof, edit, and double-check your layouts and numbers before hitting submit. You bring this same meticulous eye when drafting, editing, and proofreading donor-facing communications, including emails, updates, and basic collateral.
• Feedback-Seeker: You view constructive feedback as a tool for professional growth and feel comfortable asking clarifying questions early to ensure project alignment.
• Collaborative Spirit: You are a true team player who is energized by working alongside a small, passionate staff where everyone occasionally helps outside their job description to achieve a win.

Qualifications & Skills Profile

• Education: Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience: 1–5 years of successful experience in event management, nonprofit development, marketing, public relations, or a related fast-paced environment.
• Core Fundraising Knowledge: General knowledge of fundraising, advancement, nonprofit, or donor engagement concepts, including annual giving and donor stewardship (or the ability to quickly develop this knowledge on the job).
• Project Management: Proven ability to manage shifting priorities and execute multiple moving parts under tight deadlines.
• Communication & Relationships:
• Exceptional written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships at all organizational levels and with external constituencies, including donors and volunteers.
• Operational Excellence & Compliance:
• Ability to work independently: Capable of managing day-to-day assignments independently while strictly following detailed guidelines, procedures, and instructions.
• Commitment to accuracy and compliance: Strong attention to detail to ensure all tasks align with organizational policies, practices, and compliance standards.
• Confidentiality and discretion: Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion, sound judgment, and professionalism.
• Mission Alignment: Strong interest in child advocacy, specialized education, or supporting children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Our Tech Stack (Experience with these is a plus):

• Canva or graphic publication tools
• Instagram, Facebook, and social media scheduling tools
• Constant Contact or digital newsletter platforms
• Online event/auction platforms (Direct experience with BiddingForGood is highly preferred)

Physical Demands & Compliance

• Ability to sit at a computer workstation and lift/maneuver event supplies up to 50 lbs.
• Valid California Driver’s License and reliable transportation for local event logistics.
• Ability to work occasional evenings or weekends specifically to execute major signature events.
• Background, fingerprint, and TB clearance as required by California state law.

Pay: $30.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $30