Midlevel: The First 90 Days. Hire. Onboard. Delight.
Whether you’re hiring a new fundraiser (or stepping into a new midlevel role yourself) the first 90 days set the tone. Done well, they build trust, momentum, and a healthy pipeline. Done poorly, they leave behind confusion (both for the new MLO and often the donor(s)), missed touchpoints, and messy data that lingers.
Let’s set Midlevel Officers (MLOs) up to win.
Leaders: Prepare the Way
Before your MLO starts, do the quiet work that makes their first week smooth. We think of this in two areas: tools and program.
Tools:
Make sure the basics are ready on day one: HR paperwork, logins, email, CRM permissions, and training seats. Don’t overlook simple, but vital, program items like letterhead, branded notecards, business cards, pens, and stamps. These small signals communicate that details matter.
Program:
Clarity beats speed. Decide exactly which donors qualify as midlevel (we recommend a caseload of ~500). Pull clean data and prepare a ready list. Gather resources in one folder so your MLO personalizes, not reinvents: intro letter templates, donor information forms, thank-you scripts.
Work with your database administrator to align on CRM fields and codes for activity, meaningful engagements, next steps, interests, and asks. Loop in your direct mail team so touchpoints are coordinated. Draft a simple annual communications plan that includes personal touches (AI-assisted “handwritten” anniversary cards are a great example).
Finally, if you have a Midlevel Playbook, update it. If you don’t, make one. It should include where to find resources, how your CRM is used, and how success is measured.
Milestones for the First 90 Days
30 Days: The MLO learns your programs, reviews the Playbook, and completes HR and CRM trainings. They begin thanking donors quickly. Early thank-yous create confidence and quick wins.
60 Days: The MLO is fully engaged in introductions, comfortable in the CRM, and launching proactive touches like birthday or giving anniversary cards.
90 Days: The introduction process is nearly complete. The MLO integrates into the annual communications plan, builds on early donor connections, and persistently follows up with slower responders.
By this point, your MLO should be thanking promptly, logging clean data, and executing a touchpoint calendar designed to lift retention and upgrades.
For New Midlevel Officers
If you’re stepping into the role, welcome. Use these first weeks to build a strong foundation. Complete HR and system trainings quickly so you can focus on donor work. Read the Fundraising Playbook (or help create one). Learn your caseload by studying giving history, patterns, and notes.
Make the introduction letter your own and start planting seeds with outreach. Thank quickly. Log everything in the CRM. By 60 days, you should feel fluent; by 90 days, you’re finishing introductions and moving into regular touchpoints. Courtesy plus persistence creates lift.
Tracking Progress
The right metrics will show if you’re on track:
Introduction process complete (or nearly so).
Healthy number of meaningful engagements, not just logged activity.
Donors – both assigned and unassigned – are being thanked quickly.
Activities entered consistently; open asks visible.
These signals mean the engine is turning over and ready to scale.
Sustaining Momentum
Launching or inheriting a caseload is both daunting and exciting. But the first 90 days are just the beginning. The real joy comes as relationships deepen, donors feel seen, and the pipeline flows.
Get the first 90 days right, and you’ve built the habits, clarity, and trust needed for a midlevel program to thrive.
Bonus for Leaders: Quick Resource Checklist
Intro letter templates
Donor information form templates
Thank-you and call scripts
Birthday and giving anniversary cards
Midlevel Playbook (your “holy grail”)
CRM dashboard with key views (activity, engagements, asks, retention/upgrade indicators)