Principal Gift Strategies LLC

The Principal Gift Checklist^™

Score and De-Risk Your Next $5M+ Ask

A best-path tool to identify hidden risk and clarify the necessary conditions for your largest ask.

By Ben Porter · Author of The Principal Gift Checklist: How to Cultivate and De-Risk Gifts of $5M–$100M+ (CASE © 2019) — now on its fifth printing

Question 4 of 17

Free · 5 Minutes · Instant Score

Test your next ask

The Principal Gift Checklist is the tool behind the CASE-published book of the same name, used by hundreds of colleges and universities. Answer 17 quick questions about your next $5M+ ask and get an instant, free readiness score — no strings attached.

The Porter Score is based on two studies encompassing 353 principal gifts across 28 universities. It looks at conditions that exist immediately prior to a $5M+ solicitation. A score of 12 or higher was associated with successful gifts in both studies.

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“Who Is This Ben Porter Guy?”

Ben Porter was the AVP of Principal Gifts during Northwestern University’s $6 billion We Will campaign, where he created the Principal Gift Checklist. He subsequently served as CAO of the Kellogg School of Management and the Tuck School of Business.

He also co-founded SIGAP, a major conference for transformational gift fundraising.

As the head of Principal Gift Strategies LLC, he now advises institutions on raising their largest gifts.

Note: This checklist and its underlying data come from two studies of $5M+ gifts made to higher education by living individuals. It's built and worded for colleges and universities. It does not guarantee donor behavior or gift outcomes. If legal, tax, financial, or other expert advice is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Yes No

Donor Attributes

Donor age 60+

Decision Context Across two studies, 80% had this trait. The median age of a principal gift donor was 74. Check “yes” if the primary donor is over 60 years of age.

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Note: This checklist and its underlying data come from two studies of $5M+ gifts made to higher education by living individuals. It's built and worded for colleges and universities. It does not guarantee donor behavior or gift outcomes. If legal, tax, financial, or other expert advice is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

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Principal Gift Checklist^™

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Ben’s Chief Concern

CHECKLIST 2.0

You just answered 17 questions.

But there are deeper reasons principal gifts fail, become smaller, or just go sideways … forever.

Checklist 2.0 is designed to find them.

50 questions. Multiple lenses. One goal: find the reason your $10M ask could become $1M before the donor does.

Checklist 2.0 for Institutions

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Note: This checklist and its underlying data come from two studies of $5M+ gifts made to higher education by living individuals. It's built and worded for colleges and universities. It does not guarantee donor behavior or gift outcomes. If legal, tax, financial, or other expert advice is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Operated by Principal Gift Strategies LLC under a license with Ben Porter and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

The Principal Gift Checklist: How to Cultivate and De-Risk Gifts of $5M–$100M+ © 2019 Council for Advancement and Support of Education. All rights reserved. The checklist questions and scorecard are used under license. New website content, 2026 study data and findings, customized analysis, software, report design, and separately identified frameworks © 2026 Principal Gift Strategies LLC. All rights reserved.