Pick Click Give

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Contact: Cassandra Stalzer, Rasmuson Foundation, 907-334-0520 or 907-223-9908 cell

ANCHORAGE, April 3, 2012 – Alaskans gave charitable gifts to their favorite nonprofit causes through Pick Click Give in record numbers this year, according to data provided by the Permanent Fund Dividend Division of the Alaska State Department of Revenue. As of April 1, 2012, the close of the regular three-month filing period for the annual Permanent Fund Dividend, over 23,000 individuals had pledge over 37,000 gifts to over 400 nonprofit organizations totaling $2,200,800.

These figures represent 110 percent of this year’s campaign goal of $2 million, and an increase of nearly 50 percent over last year’s total.

“These cash donations represent true acts of kindness,” said Cassandra Stalzer, communications manager at Rasmuson Foundation. “Alaskans’ unique quality of life is directly linked to the health of our nonprofit sector, and Pick. Click. Give. provides a safe and easy way to support the causes we care about.”

“Our participation rate of 4.2 percent makes Pick Click Give one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in the United States of America,” added Stalzer.

Last year, 19,000 Alaskans raised $1.5 million for nonprofits, community foundations and the University of Alaska campuses through Pick. Click. Give. In 2010, 9,500 Alaskans donated a total of $927,000 and in 2009, the program’s first year, 5,500 people gave $545,000.

The Pick. Click. Give. statewide outreach campaign is made possible through financial support from the Alaska Children’s Trust, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Atwood Foundation, BP Alaska, ConocoPhillips Alaska, ExxonMobil, Mat-Su Health Foundation, Northrim Bank, Providence Health + Services Alaska and Rasmuson Foundation. Also providing generous amounts of in-kind support are the Alaska Public Radio Network, Regal Entertainment Group/CIRI, The Alaska Club, Alaska Aces, Nerland Agency and Wells Fargo Bank Alaska. Pick. Click. Give. is coordinated through a partnership including the Permanent Fund Dividend Division of the Alaska Department of Revenue, Rasmuson Foundation, The Foraker Group, United Way of Anchorage and Alaska Community Foundation.


Five More Days to File for 2012 PFD

Alaskans who have already filed can still pledge a gift

ANCHORAGE – Attention Alaska Procrastinators: You have less than a week to apply for the 2012 Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) before the annual 11:59 p.m. March 31 filing deadline. Filers this week also have an opportunity to be part of something bigger – exceeding the $2 million goal for donations to nonprofits via the PFD Charitable Contributions Program Pick. Click. Give. (PCG)

“Alaskans who have already filed for their dividend can still go back and make donations to Pick. Click. Give. causes across the entire state. It’s as simple as visiting the PFD Division website and clicking on the Add or change Charitable Pledges link to add a gift,” said Jordan Marshall, Initiatives and Special Projects Manager at Rasmuson Foundation. “Tens of thousands of Alaskans are already making a difference in their communities through simple gifts from their dividends.”

With the dividend application deadline looming, organizers announced today that, according to the Permanent Fund Dividend Division, as of Tuesday morning, March 27, a total of $2,038,675 has been pledged 21,700 Alaskans making 34,801 pledges to hundreds of Pick. Click. Give. nonprofits, community foundations and the University of Alaska campuses. A total of 507,510 PFD applications have filed thus far in 2012.

Examples of how Pick. Click. Give. dollars are put to good use are found in the attached “2012 Pick.Click.Give. Social Services” document. The attachment highlights stories of impact from several organizations providing emergency and transitional services to Alaska’s vulnerable populations (i.e., Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis (AWAIC), Bean’s Café, Catholic Social Services, Covenant House Alaska, The Salvation Army, and Stone Soup Group).

For point-in-time data on each participating nonprofit, please see attached spreadsheet. Please note additional worksheets show regional performance breakouts and ranking by dollars per nonprofit.

To file for the PFD, go to http://www.pfd.alaska.gov. More information on Pick. Click. Give. can be found at www.PickClickGive.org and on Facebook.

Last year, 19,000 Alaskans raised $1.5 million through Pick. Click. Give. In 2010, 9,500 Alaskans donated a total of $927,000 and in 2009 (the first year of the program), 5,500 people gave $545,000.

The Pick. Click. Give. statewide outreach campaign is made possible through financial support from the Alaska Children’s Trust, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Atwood Foundation, BP Alaska, ConocoPhillips Alaska, ExxonMobil, Mat-Su Health Foundation, Northrim Bank, Providence Health + Services Alaska and Rasmuson Foundation. Also providing generous amounts of in-kind support are the Alaska Public Radio Network, Regal Entertainment Group/CIRI, The Alaska Club, Alaska Aces, Nerland Agency and Wells Fargo Bank Alaska. Pick. Click. Give. is coordinated through a partnership including the Permanent Fund Dividend Division of the Alaska Department of Revenue, Rasmuson Foundation, The Foraker Group, United Way of Anchorage and Alaska Community Foundation.


One month till March 31 deadline to file for PFD

ANCHORAGE, March 1, 2012 – One month remains to file for the 2012 Permanent Fund Dividend and new data suggest Alaskans are pledging gifts through the Pick. Click. Give. charitable contributions program in growing numbers. Top earners thus far include Bean’s Café, KSKA, Food Bank of Alaska, Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue, AWAIC, Friends of Pets, Catholic Social Services, Planned Parenthood, and Covenant House.

These point-in-time data, provided this morning by the state Department of Revenue Permanent Fund Dividend Division, show 17,838 individuals making 28,590 pledges for a total of $1,625,675. That compares to a grand total of $1,570,900 that was donated in all of 2011.

“A third of all pledges so far are directed to causes that focus on hunger and people in emergency situations,” said Jordan Marshall, special projects manager for Rasmuson Foundation. “Alaskans are also supporting youth and education at rate approximately twice that as last year. The bottom line is that generous Alaskans are showing support for their neighbors in need.”

See March 1, 2012 Pick. Click. Give. point-in-time data here.

Preliminary analysis of today’s numbers also show strong support for arts and culture as well as for animal welfare causes.

“The number of gifts per person is also on the rise,” noted Marshall. “In the first three years of the campaign, about half of those Alaskans who made pledges also made a second gift. This year that average has increased slightly; this bodes well for some of the less well-known groups.”

Eddie Ezelle, executive director of the Food Pantry of Wasilla, has seen a 24 percent uptick in donations in 2012 through Pick. Click. Give. over last year.

“More people are struggling to meet basic needs, like paying the rent and providing food for their families,” said Ezelle. “Food Pantry of Wasilla set out to find new supporters through Pick. Click. Give. It helps us tell others about the growing number of local families in need. And it lets people know that when they support the Food Pantry, they’re making an important contribution to their community.”

This is the fourth year for Pick.Click.Give. The 2012 program goal is $2 million.

Alaskans can file for the Permanent Fund Dividend Division here: http://www.pfd.state.ak.us/


Forms available online for ease of filing

ANCHORAGE, Feb. 6, 2012 – The Pick. Click. Give. program has announced the opening of the filing period for organizations that want to participate in the 2013 campaign. Click here to begin the process. The deadline for filing an application is March 31, 2012.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for organizations to apply to be part of Pick. Click. Give.,” said Laurie Wolf, vice president of The Foraker Group, a partner in the program. “Organizations can fill out their information online and then simply print, sign, and submit a check to complete the process.”

For organizations that have been part of the program, many of the required documents are already loaded into the application. For organizations new to the program, the documents will be stored for future applications. Organizations are encouraged to verify all the existing information and change any that is not correct.

The application information is password protected and it is only used to qualify an organization for Pick. Click. Give. No information will be shared for any other purpose.

Wolf stressed that for an application to be valid, the organization must take the additional step of mailing in the signed form along with the filing fee. The online version does not constitute an official application.

To assist organizations, three webinars will be provided to walk applicants through the process and answer their questions. They are scheduled for Feb. 9 from 9-10:00 am, Feb. 22, 12-1:00 pm, and Mar. 5, 3-4:00 pm. To register, click here.

Even if a nonprofit has qualified for Pick. Click. Give. this year, or in past years, it must re-apply for 2013.


Halfway to 2012 goal, pledges thus far total $1 million

ANCHORAGE, Jan 24, 2012 – Generous Alaskans from across the state are opting to give a portion of their 2012 Permanent Fund dividend to nonprofit causes at rates that exceed the first three years of the program. Participation rates of 4.5 percent and an average $87 per donor thus far translate into $1,003,775 in pledged gifts this year, according to data provided by the Permanent Fund Dividend Division.

The million dollar figure represents the halfway point to this year’s campaign goal.

“These $25, $50, and $100 gifts add up quickly,” said Deborah Bitney, director of the Permanent Fund Dividend Division, “and the average participation rate is up a full percentage point over last year. As of this morning, 11,497 Alaskans across the state have pledged $1,003,775.”

Project organizers say Alaskans should be proud.

“We are bowled over by the response,” said Jordan Marshall, manager of initiatives and special projects for Rasmuson Foundation. “We Alaskans care about our communities and we understand that our quality of life is improved when we support the nonprofit causes we care about through Pick. Click. Give.”

The 2012 campaign includes more outreach from participating nonprofits than ever before, with dozens of organizations sharing stories of impact from charitable gifts with prospective donors. Outreach methods include e-mail notices, links to the online PFD application, and collaboration among groups.

People who want more information on organizations eligible for donations can find that here.

See “confessions” from the Pick. Click. Give. campaign on the PCG Facebook page.

See what others are saying about Pick. Click. Give. by clicking here.

See this year’s “Your Guide to Making a Difference” with stories of impact and a list of participating nonprofits by clicking here.

File for your PFD by clicking here.

For more information, contact: Jordan Marshall, 907-334-0510; Deborah Bitney, 907-465-4785