The Principal Gift Checklist™
You may have the right donor.
Have you earned the right to ask?
- Donor readiness
- Idea readiness
- Relationship readiness
Higher ed’s most widely used system for principal gifts.
“Ben has made a very important contribution to the sophistication of our profession.”
The Checklist has been used by hundreds of universities, colleges and NGOs worldwide to build authentic donor relationships and raise the gifts of a lifetime.
Ben Porter created The Principal Gift Checklist as AVP of Principal Gifts during Northwestern University’s $6 billion We Will campaign. He later served as CAO of the Kellogg School of Management and the Tuck School of Business.
Today, through Principal Gift Strategies LLC, he advises institutions on raising their largest gifts.
Three ways to work with Ben.
Bring Ben in
Current talks:
- “Your Top Three: The Path to $5M+ (Checklist Workshop)”
- “Transformational Gifts: How $100M Gifts Are Actually Raised”
- “Lakes, Streams, and Oceans: Alumni, Parents, Grateful Patients, and Billionaires”
Checklist 2.0
“I need to know what’s missing.”
Put a real $5M+ opportunity through Ben’s model.
- Have we earned the right to ask?
- What might we be missing?
- Are we asking for enough?
The Turn
“We need Ben in the room.”
For a gift or donor relationship too consequential to get wrong. Not another assessment: direct access to Ben’s judgment.
Learn about The Turn“Applying Ben's principles in my everyday work helped me secure a $5M gift within 18 months and drive $24M in production by my second year.”Carol ThelenSenior Principal Gift Officer, University of Minnesota Foundation
“We have put Ben's checklist into practice at Rutgers and, not coincidentally, have achieved record results in principal gifts for three consecutive years.”Christopher NeedlesVP for Development, Rutgers University Foundation
“Ben transformed the way Northwestern University approaches principal gift fundraising.”David LivelyVice President, Northwestern University
“After reading The Principal Gift Checklist, Tufts leaders found Ben’s visit both energizing and practical—bringing the ideas to life with sharp data, real-world examples, and wit.”Sara JudgeVice President for Development, Tufts University
“Ben's research presentation on transformational gifts was full of valuable data insights and gained wide traction across UNICEF's global MGO network.”Ben RymerDirector of Research, UNICEF
“Ben conducted a thorough principal gift program review, generating actionable insights about how we can raise more big gifts. His officer training made the real splash—days later, the team was still buzzing about his tips and tactics.”Magnus JohnssonInterim VP for Development and Alumni Relations, Virginia Commonwealth University
“Ben Porter’s insights and teachings are foundational to our principal gifts work.”Amanda Peters HopkinsAVC of Development, University of Colorado Boulder
Still want the book?
After its fourth printing, The Principal Gift Checklist is currently out of print. Ben keeps a very limited number of physical copies for trainings and workshops, which he lends to participants prior to his training.