Answering donation-related inquiries, such as how a charity plans to use contributions and explaining to a caller the ways to participate in a non-profit group's events, are among the daily responsibilities of a donor services officer.
Officers provide donors with information, education and resources, and help maintain community relations.
Donor services officers are the equivalent of customer service professionals in the private sector, says Fei Fei Barnes, director of operations at WWF Hong Kong.
'For a charity, it is absolutely essential to maintain relationships with donors,' Barnes says. Donor services officers are often the first people with whom supporters come into contact.
At WWF, Barnes says donor inquiries cover a wide range of issues, from how to join the organisation's monthly donation scheme to information about the group's annual walk. Donor services officers also answer simple conservation questions, while passing on more technical and complicated ones to WWF specialists.
Donor services officers also process donations, which entails liaising with banks and handling membership and donor information, and co-ordinating with volunteers.