Seeking to launch a donation effort for your Bayside non-profit organization … but uncertain where to start? Perhaps the professional who oversaw the previous outreach retired or departed? Or, you’re just low on help and long on tasks to be done?
You need a turnkey mailing service that grasps how direct mail for charities works. Put differently, you need Bresser’s Information Services, a mail service provider (MSP) that does the heavy lifting fund-raising can be mysterious, and ripe for mistakes. How do non-profit postage rates operate? Which types of organizations qualify? Can any materials be mailed, or only certain types?
First, a definition. Non-profit mail is printed material eligible to be mailed as USPS Marketing Mail®, by organizations authorized by the Postal Service™, at substantially reduced non-profit postage rates.
You can glean tremendous savings on postage … as long as you follow the rules. Bresser’s Information Services knows them thoroughly, and is prepared to assist.
Remember, nothing that has to be sent via First Class Mail® is eligible for non-profit rates. The rules are strict. Unbendable. Don’t even try.
So, what can you send at non-profit rates? Self-mailers, letters, newsletters and booklets weighing less than 16 ounces can be eligible for USPS Marketing Mail®.
Only materials of authorized organizations, registered as non-profits with USPS, can be mailed at non-profit rates. Put differently, don’t try to utilize the non-profit status of another Bayside organization. It won’t work. Authorized organizations are prohibited from sharing their mailing privilege. Obtain your own.
How? Complete PS Form 3624, Application to Mail at Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail® Prices. Be prepared to show evidence that your organization is a legal non-profit. Fill out the form completely. Doing so can be the difference in a decision returning in days, versus weeks.
Is your Bayside organization eligible? Very likely, as long as your due diligence is complete. The categories of organizations approved for Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail® costs are lengthy: philanthropic, religious, educational, veterans, scientific, labor, fraternal, political … the list goes on.
Got your non-profit authorization? Great. Let’s get to work. Bresser’s Information Services will mail on your organization’s behalf, using our mailing permit.
There’s a reason our name includes “services,” though. We don’t stop at preparing your mail for the greatest postage savings, and dropping it at the post office.
We provide advice on designing your mail piece. Print your materials in full color. Populate and expand your mailing list, using recipients known to donate to specific causes. Clean up your list, removing vacant and duplicate addresses. Find new addresses for recipients who have moved.
Since its founding in 1946, Bresser’s Information Services has printed, addressed and mailed millions of fund-raising mailers. We know the rules, the rates, and how to get your fund-raising outreach in the right hands.
Contact us to start your next Bayside fund-raising campaign. We’re a mail house, for sure – one dedicated to keeping your non-profit house strong, vibrant, and doing good work in the community.