We love Pick.Click.Give.

Among the many really great attributes of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend is that it extends the spirit of charity we see around the holidays by three months.

At least it does these days, since the advent of Pick.Click.Give., which until applications close March 31 will allow folks to give part or all of their dividend to charity.

The state organization that matches dividend recipients to charities that could use a boost was created by the Legislature in 2008 and went live in 2009. After a three-year trial run it became a permanent fixture of the dividend program. Pick.Click.Give. says it received $2.7 million in donations for Alaska charities in 2014. That haul pushed the program’s lifetime total above the $10 million mark.

We write about Pick.Click.Give at least twice every year: once at the start of the dividend application period and once when the organization releases its yearly tallies for contributions to local charities.

In last year’s post-giving story, we tallied up the numbers from 2013.

Just in the top-10 groups, Valley organizations pulled in $127,500 from the program.

Charities say they like this type of donation because the money received doesn’t come with strings attached.

Oftentimes, grant-giving institutions will fund charities, but specify that the money must go for this or that purpose. What’s usually left out is administrative costs and the costs of day-to-day operations. The cash also helps when matching funds are needed to qualify for other grants.

Donations from Pick.Click.Give. help meet those administrative fees. And they help non-profits get other grants.

There are a lot of Valley non-profits on the list. In part, that’s because we have a lot of people doing charity work and a lot of people donating to further that work.

It also tells us a lot about what our community deems important.

Year after year we find that Valley-ites are most passionate about animals. The perennial favorite in the charitable giving program is Alaska Dog and Puppy Rescue, with a bevy of animal groups — from a dog and puppy wellness charity, to a wild bird rehabilitation group, to a cat rescue group — all placing high in the running. There are also plenty of local rescue groups that didn’t make the top 10, even one that rescues horses.

In Mat-Su, we also care about those of us who need a little help making ends meet. The Food Pantry of Wasilla often ranks high on the list. And we care about our elderly — as evidenced by donations to Mat-Su Senior Services.

So, if you’re online in the next couple weeks, or next year or the year after, consider kicking a few bucks to your favorite charity. And if you give $25 or more, this year you will be entered in the Double Your Dividend Sweepstakes, where you could win a second PFD payment.

And don’t worry that you might forget. We’ll be sure to keep reminding you that it’s an option.