Supporter Engagement Officer
Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP)
Remote, UK-based | 16 hours per week | Part-time with flexibility for regular overtime
This role will close when we have identified a suitable candidate. We are looking for someone who can start as soon as possible. Immediate start available.
About the role
Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP) is a frontline animal protection organisation. We investigate cruelty, rescue animals and work to disrupt organised animal crime in the UK and internationally.
Our supporters make that work possible.
We are looking for a Supporter Engagement Officer to help us build strong, long-term relationships with the people who donate to, campaign with and support AWIP.
This is a practical, hands-on role combining supporter care, supporter cultivation, donor retention and general administration.
A significant part of the role involves speaking directly with supporters by telephone. You should enjoy talking to people, building relationships and helping supporters feel connected to the impact their support makes possible.
That might mean calling a supporter who has cancelled their monthly donation to understand why and see whether we can retain their support. It could mean speaking with a long-standing regular giver about whether they would consider increasing their monthly contribution, thanking someone for their continued support, welcoming a new donor or checking in with an existing supporter.
These are not cold fundraising calls. They are relationship-building conversations with people who already have a connection with AWIP.
You will also provide administrative support across AWIP where needed. We are a small, fast-moving organisation and everyone contributes to making our frontline work possible.
Whether you are updating supporter records, speaking with donors, processing enquiries or helping another team with an urgent administrative task, your work ultimately supports our frontline response to animal cruelty.
What you'll be doing
Supporter care and cultivation
- Responding to supporter enquiries by telephone and email.
- Providing warm, professional and timely supporter care.
- Building relationships with AWIP supporters through proactive telephone contact.
- Calling new or existing supporters to thank them and strengthen their connection with our work.
- Welcoming new donors and regular givers.
- Speaking with supporters who have cancelled or are considering cancelling their monthly donation.
- Understanding the reasons behind cancellations and, where appropriate, exploring whether we can retain their support.
- Following up with lapsed or disengaged supporters.
- Speaking with established regular givers about whether they would consider increasing their monthly support where appropriate.
- Helping supporters understand the impact their donations make possible.
- Identifying opportunities to deepen relationships with particularly engaged supporters.
- Handling supporter complaints, concerns and difficult conversations professionally and sensitively.
- Updating supporter details, preferences and communication records.
- Processing cancellations, amendments and other supporter requests accurately.
- Following up with supporters when further action is required.
Supporter retention and development
A key part of this role is helping AWIP build lasting relationships with the people who fund our work.
You will regularly speak with existing supporters rather than relying entirely on email or digital communication.
You might:
- Call a supporter who has recently become a monthly donor to welcome and thank them.
- Contact someone who has supported AWIP for several years to thank them personally.
- Speak with someone who has cancelled a regular donation and understand whether there is anything we can do to retain them.
- Reconnect with previously active supporters.
- Check in with supporters following significant campaigns, investigations or rescues.
- Ask an established regular giver whether they would consider increasing their monthly contribution.
- Identify supporters who may benefit from more personalised stewardship.
- Record feedback that can help us improve the supporter experience.
These conversations should feel human, genuine and supporter-focused.
We are not looking for someone to aggressively sell donations. We are looking for someone who understands that good supporter relationships lead to stronger retention, deeper engagement and ultimately more resources to protect animals.
Administration and organisational support
AWIP is a growing organisation responding to animal cruelty across the globe. From time to time, priorities change quickly and additional administrative support is required.
Alongside your core supporter engagement responsibilities, you will be expected to help with reasonable administrative tasks across the organisation.
This could include:
- Updating databases, spreadsheets and internal systems.
- Maintaining accurate supporter and donor records.
- Processing information and completing data-entry tasks.
- Preparing documents or correspondence.
- Helping organise meetings, appointments or activities.
- Making telephone calls on behalf of other teams.
- Supporting administrative work connected with campaigns, investigations, rescues or other operational activity.
- Helping colleagues process high volumes of information during particularly busy periods.
- Supporting fundraising and campaign administration.
- Carrying out research or other straightforward administrative tasks.
- Providing general administrative support where additional capacity is required.
You do not need to be an investigator or animal welfare specialist.
Your role is to provide the supporter engagement and administrative capacity that allows our specialist teams to concentrate on protecting animals.
What we're looking for
Essential
- Excellent telephone manner and confidence speaking with members of the public.
- Comfortable proactively picking up the phone and calling supporters.
- Strong relationship-building skills.
- Experience in supporter care, customer service, donor care or another people-focused role.
- Comfortable speaking with supporters about cancellations and retention.
- Confident discussing donations and monthly giving in a natural and appropriate way.
- Comfortable asking an existing supporter whether they would consider increasing their monthly gift.
- Excellent written communication skills.
- Friendly, professional and empathetic communication style.
- Able to handle complaints or difficult conversations calmly.
- Highly organised and able to manage competing priorities.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Comfortable completing routine administrative tasks accurately.
- Confident using databases, spreadsheets and online systems.
- Able to work independently in a remote environment.
- Willing to help colleagues with work outside your immediate responsibilities when organisational priorities require it.
- Comfortable working in a small organisation where priorities can change quickly.
- Genuine commitment to animal protection and AWIP's mission.
Desirable
- Previous charity or nonprofit experience.
- Experience in supporter care or donor stewardship.
- Experience with regular giving retention or upgrade activity.
- Experience speaking with supporters who have cancelled subscriptions, memberships or donations.
- Experience using a CRM or donor database.
- Experience working with regular giving programmes.
- Experience working in a busy customer or supporter-facing environment.
The person we're looking for
You are naturally comfortable talking to people.
You don't hesitate to pick up the phone.
If someone cancels their monthly donation, you are curious about why and confident enough to call them, listen and see whether we can retain their support.
If someone has supported AWIP for several years, you recognise that they deserve more than automated emails. You are happy to call them, thank them and build a genuine relationship.
And when the relationship is right, you are comfortable asking whether they might consider doing a little more.
You understand that cultivation is not about constantly asking people for money. It is about making supporters feel valued, connected and part of the organisation's mission.
You are also practical.
If another team suddenly needs administrative help because AWIP is responding to a major animal cruelty case, you are willing to help.
You don't see tasks as being "beneath" your role. You understand that in a small organisation everyone contributes to making frontline work possible.
This role probably isn't for you if:
- You dislike speaking with people on the telephone.
- You would rather communicate with supporters exclusively by email.
- You are uncomfortable proactively calling existing supporters.
- You would avoid calling someone who has cancelled their donation.
- You are uncomfortable having conversations about monthly giving or increasing support.
- You want a narrowly defined role where you only undertake tasks within your immediate area.
- You dislike administrative work.
- You need extensive direction before completing routine tasks.
- You are uncomfortable working in a small, fast-moving organisation where priorities can change.
- You see supporter care as simply responding to enquiries rather than actively building relationships.
Working arrangements
- Part-time role.
- 16 hours per week, exact days and hours to be agreed.
- Remote working within the UK.
- Flexibility around start and finish times may be available.
- Occasional virtual or in-person team meetings may be required.
Why work with AWIP?
Your work will have a direct connection to protecting animals.
The supporter you call and retain might continue giving for another five years.
The regular giver who decides to increase their monthly contribution provides additional funding for investigations and rescues.
The supporter who receives a personal thank-you call may become one of AWIP's strongest long-term advocates.
And the administrative task you take off an investigator's desk gives them more time to work on an animal cruelty case.
This role is about looking after the people who make our work possible — building relationships, retaining their support and helping them feel genuinely connected to the animals their generosity protects.
Pay: £13.45 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Flexitime
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Life insurance
- Private medical insurance
- Work from home
Application question(s):
- Have you previously worked in a fast-paced environment where priorities changed frequently and multiple campaigns ran in parallel?
- This role involves rapid turnaround, clear performance targets, and working with emotionally challenging subject matter. Are you genuinely comfortable with this?
- In a few sentences, what motivates you to ask supporters for money in a fast-paced animal protection organisation, and how would you balance confident fundraising with excellent supporter care?
Experience:
- Customer service: 1 year (required)
Work Location: Remote
