A hands-on major-gifts cohort where I teach you the system and sit beside you while you use it. You’ll walk away with the tools, the skills, and the self-assurance to run major gift campaigns that grow your organization.
What’s happened so far
Where people grow
10-point scale, pre vs. post program.
Light bars = starting score · Dark bars = end score
*Ask Confidence is adjusted for retrospective self-assessment. After the program, participants re-score where they actually were on day one — that retroactive score averages about 2 points lower than originally reported.
Why this matters
Major gift fundraising is usually sold as a money strategy. It is one. But for the organizations I work with, it’s also a resilience strategy and an act of self-determination.
A broad base of individual donors is the funding that survives a shock. From the Free African Society and rotating susu circles to the Black Panther survival programs, communities locked out of institutions have always built their own support.
Growing the community around your cause does two things at once: it helps you grow, and it protects you when institutional money disappears.
What we’ll build together
How it runs
A 90-minute session with the whole cohort to learn the next piece of the system.
Four organizations and a coach, rolling up sleeves on your actual campaign.
A bank of one-on-one time per organization, for the moments you need a hand.
This works best when three people show up together:
At every session and every 1:1, with protected ED-only space to think out loud.
Keeps continuity — the donor tracker, the AI prompts, the calendar.
Shows up for three high-leverage moments: pipeline building, warmup scripts, and specific asks.
From the people in it
“It’s not just theory — it’s practical, actionable, and immediately usable. I walked away with real tools, clear strategies, and a new level of confidence in how I approach major gifts. What stood out most is how approachable and real Ben is — he meets you where you are and makes the process feel achievable, not intimidating.”
“I’ve never seen anyone do what this program did for us. Ben stuck with us even after the program to help get our board aligned and moving forward on fundraising. I valued the ability to show up as myself and talk about our challenges plainly without being judged.”
“Ben has a rare ability to balance big-picture thinking with practical execution. He facilitated our process so everyone was aligned and every voice was heard — and made sure the plan we built was one we could actually implement.”
Questions
Two Tuesdays a month: a 90-minute all-cohort learning session on the first Tuesday and a small-pod working session on the third, plus 1:1 hours whenever you need them. Figure a few additional hours per month. We respect that you have a day job.
If they’re truly committed to being your champion, they’ll make it work. The retreats are the spine of this program. If your person genuinely cannot attend either one, we should talk about whether someone else on your board is a better fit for this role.
That’s actually the point. This program is built for organizations where the ED is the fundraiser — which, in a small shop, is most of you. By the end, your three-person team will have the muscle memory to run major gift campaigns without a dedicated development hire.
Most organizations underestimate what they have. You’d be surprised what shows up when we actually look. If you’re starting from absolute zero with no individual donors at all, we should talk first.
You keep the playbook, the tools, the AI prompts, and the muscle memory. The program is designed to be self-sustaining. I’m available for ongoing coaching at preferred rates for graduates. I’m trying to make myself unnecessary — that’s the whole point.
No. AI is always optional here. The prompts we set up handle the admin grunt work and hand you back your most precious asset: your time. But I’ll never require it, and we provide step-by-step methods for anyone who’d rather not use it.
Enrollment isn’t open — yet
Join the list and I’ll let you know when the next cohort opens. No spam, no pressure — just a heads-up when it’s time.