Pick.Click.Give is how Alaskans give back

Who hasn’t heard of the annual Permanent Fund dividend (PFD)?

Most of us know we’ll receive an annual check if we apply on time and have remained a permanent resident without excessive travel out of state. We all know that the more dependents we have in our household, the larger the payday. The money can even be directly deposited into your bank or credit union so trees are spared.

The PFD is in our culture now and an integral part of the state economy and Alaskans’ budgets.

If you want to get down to details, the Permanent Fund is in our Alaska Constitution. One of its creators was visionary Gov. Jay Hammond. The fund is managed by the state-owned Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. And the kicker: the amount of the PFD each year is based substantially on oil revenue and a complex equation based on a five-year average of the fund’s performance in the stock market and through investments.

The first PFD check was sent out 33 years ago in 1982 for a whopping $1,000, and I still have a photocopy of mine. The least amount was in 1984 at a dismal $331.29. The highest was in 2008 when we not only received $2,069, but also the $1,200 Alaska Resource Rebate, so a whopping $3,269 per family member.

So, to my second question: If you’ve heard of the PFD, have you heard of Pick.Click.Give?

With the stellar print and digital branding in full bloom, if you haven’t yet, you probably will soon.

Recently I interviewed Heather Beaty on my radio show. Heather is the manager of the program. She loves her job and does it well. Her eagerness to spread the message is contagious, hence my column.

Pick.Click.Give. emerged back in 2008 when the Alaska Legislature passed House Bill 166, establishing the Charitable Contributions Program. Legislative intent was to start a mechanism through which those applying for their PFDs online (through the PFD website) could donate a portion or their entire payout to eligible Alaska nonprofit organizations.

What’s so nice about the program is that it’s easy and actually fun to do, when you get right down to the part where you scroll through various Alaska charities and decide how much and to whom you’ll donate.

Back in 2009, the inaugural year of Pick.Click.Give, $545,000 was donated by 5,173 PFD recipients. In 2010, that amount nearly doubled. In 2011, the generosity rose to almost $1.6 million from 18,726 donators. In 2012, an impressive 23,169 Alaskans gave $2.2 million of their PFD monies to charity.

The program is coordinated through a partnership between the state of Alaska’s PFD Division within the Department of Revenue, along with the Foraker Group, Rasmuson Foundation, United Way of Anchorage and Alaska Community Foundation.

The actual process to donate online through the Pick.Click.Give portal is easy. I applied shortly after the enrollment opened this month and found the functionality and directions to be at elementary school level, so perfect for my aging brain! The FAQs and guidance within the online application sequence is basic. You won’t have a problem maneuvering.

For nonprofit organizations that want to become a recipient of Alaskans’ generosity, remember that the 2014 Pick.Click.Give. application process is closed. The 2015 season will open Feb. 1, 2014, so make sure you get your respective boards of directors to approve becoming a chosen nonprofit and prepare to apply.

As for the organizations you can donate to, for 2014, the list is rich in diversity and region. Searching can be done by name, city, cause type (e.g. humanitarian, emergency, youth and education, health).

In my case, this is my first time donating through the program. Admittedly, I wasn’t Mother Theresa in my charity, but every bit counts. I donated $125 in $25 increments to five organizations: American Lung Association in Alaska, Alaska SeaLife Center, Alaska State Firefighters Association, Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Zoo. For me, I want cancer cured; animals loved and respected; and emergency responders and law enforcement supported. For you, it may be about education, arts and entertainment or a mixture of many enduring advocacies.

I’m very proud of our state policymakers, all of the sponsors and program partners, the staff and especially Alaskans who pick, click and give to Alaska nonprofits from their PFDs. It’s such an easy, simple way to make a difference, and you’ll feel really good in doing so. I know I did.

Tom Anderson is a former state representative (2003-2007). He is managing partner at Optima Public Relations and is the host of the Tom Anderson Show on KVNT 1020 AM in the Mat-Su.