Free Tax Preparation Helps Keep Hard-Earned Money in Alaskans’ Pockets

During tough times and cold winters, every dollar counts for Alaskans. That’s why United Way of Anchorage and partners like AARP-Tax Aide offer free tax preparation for qualified Alaskans each tax season, keeping millions of dollars in the pockets of hardworking families and in our community.

This tax season, Alaskans can take advantage of free tax preparation at eight sites around Anchorage and at three Super Saturday events. Last tax season, nearly 6,000 Alaskans filed from free local tax preparation sites, saving more than $600,000 in preparation costs while being guided to an average of $1,925 in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and ultimately receiving more than $9.6 million in returns.

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04-03-2012
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.

More information on Pick. Click. Give. can be found at www.PickClickGive.org and on Facebook.

About Pick. Click. Give.

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.
03-27-2012
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 by 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 been 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.

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03-27-2012
Anchorage taxpayers have just three more weeks to file their Federal Income Taxes, but there is still plenty of opportunity to have them done accurately and free of charge, thanks to United Way of Anchorage and partners like AARP-Tax Aide.

Alaskans can take advantage of the Anchorage Free Income Tax Preparation Program at eight sites around Anchorage through April 17th. Tax sites are located at Anchorage Senior Activity Center, the University of Alaska Anchorage, First Free Methodist Church, Northeast Community Center, Spenard Rec Center, the AARP State Office, Credit Union 1-Mountain View, Crosspoint Community Church and on military bases. Days and hours vary, so check the schedule at www.FreeTaxPrepANC.com or call 2-1-1 to determine the date, time and location that is best for you.

One more Super Saturday event will be held on Saturday, March 31st at Crosspoint Community Church in south Anchorage. Bring the whole family for fun children’s activities, informational booths staffed by community service providers and local nonprofits, free money saving seminars and the opportunity to get your taxes done for free (hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., come early if you want to have your taxes done). The Super Saturday site is disability accessible and a sign language interpreter will be available throughout the day.

Anchorage residents also can take advantage of the new FAST Tax Site also at Gateway Learning Center, 801 Karluk Street, where filers will have access to free computers and volunteers who can assist them in getting started with filing their taxes online.

The Anchorage Free Income Tax Preparation Program has set a goal of helping 4,500 area residents file their taxes (not counting military bases) in 2012. Last tax season, Alaskans who filed from free local tax preparation sites saved more than $900,000 in preparation costs while being guided to over $1.7 million in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and ultimately receiving more than $10 million in returns.

Taxpayers have until April 17 to file their tax returns this year because of Emancipation Day, a holiday observed in the District of Columbia which falls on Friday, April 15.

Free tax preparation in Anchorage is made possible by a collaboration between United Way of Anchorage, the IRS, AARP Tax-Aide, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), the University of Alaska Anchorage, Wal-Mart Foundation, the National Disability Institute, the faith-based community, individual volunteers, nonprofits and government service providers.

For more details on tax preparation sites, contact Alaska 2-1-1 by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-478-2221, join us on Facebook and visit the website at www.freetaxprepANC.com.

About United Way of Anchorage

United Way of Anchorage works to advance the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all by focusing on the three key building blocks for a good life: education, income and health. The goal is to create lasting changes that prevent problems from happening in the first place. United Way invites everyone to be part of the change. GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. LIVE UNITED. Please visit LIVEUNITEDANCHORAGE.org.