Nerland Agency encourages Alaskans to use Permanent Fund for good

Release Date: 03/08/2010

A benefit to living in Alaska is free money every year from the state, right? Yes! It’s called the Alaska Permanent Fund (PFD) – state resources money placed in income-producing investments which are then distributed annually in the form of a dividend to every Alaska man, woman or child that applies. The 2009 dividend was $1305.

A few years ago, the state’s largest foundation, the Rasmuson Foundation, and a coalition of non-profit groups successfully lobbied for legislation to allow Alaskans to contribute some of this “free money” to their favorite cause (or causes). Nerland Agency was hired to create the communications program, now widely known as “Pick.Click.Give.” This memorable mnemonic empowers Alaskans to quickly and easily supplement their normal annual giving with donations from their PFD.

The campaign, in its second year, lets Alaskans know that if each and every one of us gives just $25, that together we’ll raise $15 million to help the homeless, hungry, abused and others. With a small media placement budget and a lot of donations, the campaign is running statewide:

• Paid TV advertisements were matched by participating stations to increase total placement by 75 percent.
• Targeted Facebook and public radio ads captured prospective donors across generations.
• Local companies donated ad space in newspaper and other advertising mediums.
• Dozens and dozens of participating non-profits use their own communications vehicles to reach out to donors, asking for consideration.
• And Nerland Agency donated an emotional 90-second YouTube video to accompany public relations and social media campaigns. See it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNd-bU9NKeI

With a few weeks yet to go before the PFD filing deadline, total donors are up 21 percent over last year’s program (against our 10 percent goal). This success comes from a program that, in its first year, quickly became the second largest fundraising effort in Alaska.