ANCHORAGE, August 24, 2011 – Alaskans who filed for the 2011 Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) between January 1 and March 31 have seven more days to make Pick. Click. Give. charitable contributions. The PFD Division homepage will accept new contributions to over 400 nonprofit causes through August 31.

“The regular PFD filing season saw nearly 20,000 Alaskans pledging over $1.5 million,” said Jordan Marshall, special projects manager with Rasmuson Foundation. “These generous, optional gifts support important causes across the entire state and improve our quality of life.

“If you gave through Pick. Click. Give., thank you!” said Marshall. “If, however, you forgot or ran out of time or you simply want to make a safe and secure charitable contribution today, you can.”

The PFD Division homepage – www.pfd.state.ak.us – prominently features an “Add or Change a Charitable Contribution” link. Instructions for making an additional gift are available at www.PickClickGive.org Look for the “How to Donate” link in the QuickLinks section on the right hand side of the homepage.

2011 marks the third year for Pick. Click. Give., and each year Alaskans have increased the amount of donations they make through the program. Recent research shows that on average over half the donations are coming from people making their first philanthropic gift.

ANCHORAGE: March 4, 2011 – Alaska nonprofits participating in this year’s Pick. Click. Give. can now learn how much donors have pledged to them mid-way through the filing season for the 2011 Permanent Fund Dividend. The Department of Revenue PFD Division compiled the numbers through February 18 and shared them with participating organizations last week. The data show the number of contributions per nonprofit and the pledged amount thus far.

In total, as of this morning, March 4, there are 14,976 individuals making 22,061 pledges for a total of $1,193,800.

“The PFD Division accepts gifts from Alaskans who have already filed for their PFD,” said Jordan Marshall, project manager for Rasmuson Foundation, one of the supporters of Pick. Click. Give. “Prospective donors who forgot or were too rushed when they applied for their PFD online can look for the ‘Add or Change a Charitable Contribution’ button at the PFD Division home page. We hope, too, that having these numbers in hand helps organizations better prepare their promotional activities through the end of the PFD filing period on March 31.”

Marshall cautioned that the reported amounts are pledges and should not be viewed as final contributions. Pledges are subject to change that could be caused by withdrawals, garnishments, and the occasional donor who pledges more than the final dividend amount.

“This is a rare opportunity for organizations to see their pledges thus far,” Jordan said. “The Department of Revenue does not provide Pick. Click. Give. data on an individual basis.”

If Alaskans who already filed want to give a first or additional gift to an organization, a link to “How to Donate – even if you’ve already filed for your Permanent Fund Dividend” instructions can be found on the home page of both www.pfd.alaska.gov and www.PickClickGive.org.

The list of pledges to organizations is available in the same location on the Pick. Click. Give. web page under Quick Links – click on “2011 Midway Pledge Data.”

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jordan Marshall, 907-334-0510

$1.5 million goal announced for Pick. Click. Give.

Filing season for PFD checks opens on January 1

ANCHORAGE, December 29, 2010 – The partnership that’s promoting Pick. Click. Give. announced today that it hopes Alaskans will share $1.5 million of their 2011 Permanent Fund Dividend with Alaska nonprofits when they file online. Alaskans begin filing for their PFD this Saturday. This is the third year they may also make a charitable contribution with all or part of their dividend.

According to Jordan Marshall, a project manager for Rasmuson Foundation, which is a major supporter of Pick. Click. Give., this year’s goal marks a 50 percent increase over the amount raised in 2010.

“In 2010, more than 9,500 generous Alaskans donated almost $1 million through Pick. Click. Give.,” said Marshall. “That amount exceeded 2009 donations when approximately 5,500 people gave $545,000.”

Marshall also cited a recent survey as a reason for optimism. It showed that nearly three-out-of-four residents have heard of Pick. Click. Give., and that 10 percent of them were “very likely” to make a contribution using the program.

“Given the positive results we received from the survey, the awareness campaign we’re running and the nonprofit community’s work to spread the message about Pick. Click. Give., we are confident we can meet our goal this year,” he said.

The Pick. Click. Give. media awareness and public relations campaign is in full swing this week. Radio and television announcements continue, and a newspaper insert will run Sunday that lists all the participating organizations. People who want more information on organizations eligible for donations can find that at www.PickClickGive.org.

Marshall said the awareness efforts are especially intense right now because 100,000 Alaskans file in the first four days of the New Year.

“We know Alaskans are considering their giving decisions right now,” said Marshall. “We’re providing as much information as we can to make them aware of Pick. Click. Give. and how important it is for individuals to give to the organizations they care about.”

In addition to statewide media, a campaign has been launched on Facebook that urges people to “confess” why they give through Pick. Click. Give. It can be found at www.facebook.com/PickClickGive.

“We want Alaskans to understand that even small donations make a huge difference,” Marshall said. “If every Alaskan gives just $25 of their PFD through Pick. Click. Give., more than $15 million will be raised for important causes. “

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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, the Alaska Giving Coalition, the United Way of Anchorage and the Alaska Community Foundation. The Pick. Click. Give. statewide outreach campaign is made possible through financial support from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, BP Alaska, ConocoPhillips Alaska, the Mat-Su Health Foundation, the Friends of the Alaska Children’s Trust, Providence Health + Services Alaska, Flint Hills Resources Alaska, and Rasmuson Foundation. Also, providing generous amounts of in-kind support are Alaska Public Radio Network, Coast Alaska and Alaska One public broadcasting, the Alaska Club, and Nerland Agency.