The Planned Giving Productivity Quiz

We’ve all got the same 24 hours a day.

How well are you using yours?

1. You have the opportunity to take an online course. Which of the following to
pics would you choose?

1. The Best Online Gift Calculators
2. Tax Planning Essentials
3. 21 Questions to Get Donors Talking

2. You have a 12-minute block of time between meetings. You:
Check Facebook.

1. Resume my search for the perfect header image for the e-newsletter I’m working on.
2. Jot a thank you note to the next donor on the ongoing list I keep.

3. Do you send out a planned giving newsletter?

1. Not yet. But I’d like to.
2. Yes.
3. No. It’s a waste of time.

4. Do you have clearly defined goals for your personal and professional life?

1. I always mean to do that. Maybe they’re written down somewhere around here…
2. No. I prefer to take on problems and opportunities as they come.
3. Yes! I have daily, weekly, quarterly and lifelong goals.

5. You’re staring at an unpleasant task on your to-do list. How do you approach it?

1. Stop staring, look at something else and ignore it as long as possible.
2. Let it sit for a few hours so I can think about the perfect way to resolve it
3. Tackle it first thing to get it out of the way.

So… How’d you do?

Mostly As: Procrastination Station

You did not need this quiz to tell you that you’re wasting time. Stop it. Make the call, have the conversation, sell the vision. Your donors are not sitting around waiting for you. They’re making decisions about their charitable giving and estate plans (including gifts to other nonprofits) while you’re refreshing your email… again.

Mostly Bs: Perfection Infection

Have you heard the saying, “Done beats perfect”? Write it down and post it near your computer. Farm out writing and design work to people who can do it faster and better than you. Your time is too valuable to be messing around resizing photos for a newsletter. Call a donor. Take a prospect out to lunch. Listen to a webinar that will hone your people skills. A hastily written thank you note is 1,000 times better than the perfect one you’re planning but never find time for.

Mostly Cs: Productivity Champ

You get it. You’re investing time in people because you know planned giving is a people  business. Keep up the good work. Check out _______’s article on page 1 for some inspiration about the payoff when you put time into the right things. And for some technological tools to help already productive you be even more productive, see the roundup on page ??

[Related: Read why multitasking is bad for you. Especially in the planned giving world.]

Karen Martin used to write quizzes for teen magazines—like this quiz, but with more references to celebrity crushes and what your nail polish color says about your personality. Now she writes exclusively for businesses and nonprofits, including PlannedGiving.com and our valued clients. karen@plannedgiving.com