Principal Gift Checklist 2.0
A much deeper dive.
50 questions. Multiple different lenses.
Built from original research and 20 years of field experience.
The alum loves your school, but you've never met the non-alum spouse.
And a child was denied admission three years ago.
They’re deep in a pledge — but they’ve just had a liquidity event.
Can we ask again?
See what 50 questions can do.
The Full Diagnostic — 26 of 50
Was a child, grandchild, or close family member of the donor ever denied admission?
The Full Diagnostic — 43 of 50
Does the primary donor have a family foundation that they will be giving through?
The Full Diagnostic — 19 of 50
Is this new wealth creation?
Principal gifts fall short because we make it so easy for the donor to say no.
Our research wasn’t double-checked, so we went too high — and blew them out of the water.
We didn’t have quite the right people in the room.
The donor didn’t expect an ask, so they invited their niece.
We missed the moment, and flew home.
Or maybe, we went for it anyway.
And our $5M ask became a $1M gift.
Over five years.
Meaning we can’t go back.
Welcome to Checklist 2.0
It remembers what others forget.
Every evaluation produces a six-page report that pressure-tests the opportunity from multiple angles.
It looks at the strength of the relationship, institutional readiness, timing, strategy, and the path to the ask.
It shows what’s strong, what’s missing, and what needs attention before you move.
It even tells when you are asking too low.
Bring a real $5M+ prospect.
If you’re considering Checklist 2.0 for your institution, request a private demo. We’ll run a real opportunity through Checklist 2.0 together and see what it catches.
Request a Private DemoInstitutional licensing includes full access to Checklist 2.0 and quarterly office hours with Ben Porter. Licenses start at $9,500/year.
Prefer to start by email? inquiries@principalgift.com
Request a Private Demo
I’ll review your request and be in touch. Prefer email? inquiries@principalgift.com