Aiming to fire up a fund-raising effort for your River Hills non-profit … but unsure where to begin? Has the team member who ran the last outreach retired or departed? Or, you’re just short on staff and long on work?
You need a turnkey mailing service that understands how direct mail for non-profits works. Put differently, you need Bresser’s Information Services, a mail service provider (MSP) that does the hard work fund-raising can be ambiguous, and ripe for mistakes. How do non-profit postage rates function? Which types of operations are eligible? Can any materials be mailed, or only certain types?
First, a definition. Non-profit mail is printed material eligible to be sent as USPS Marketing Mail®, by organizations authorized by the Postal Service™, at substantially reduced non-profit postage rates.
You can reap momentous savings on postage … as long as you stick to the rules. Bresser’s Information Services understands them intimately, and is prepared to assist.
Remember, nothing that requires sending via First Class Mail® qualifies for non-profit rates. The rules are clearly laid out. Unbendable. Don’t even try.
So, what can you mail 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. Stated otherwise, don’t try to piggyback on the non-profit status of another River Hills organization. It won’t work. Authorized organizations are barred from sharing their mailing privilege. Get your own.
How? Complete PS Form 3624, Application to Mail at Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail® Prices. Be ready to show documentation that your organization is a legal non-profit. Fill out the form entirely. Doing so can make the difference in a decision returning in days, versus weeks.
Is your River Hills organization eligible? Very likely, as long as your due diligence is complete. The classifications 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 readying your mail for the largest 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, deleting 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 materials. We understand the rules, the rates, and how to land your fund-raising outreach in the right hands.
Contact us to launch your next River Hills fund-raising campaign. We’re a mail house, for sure – one focused on keeping your non-profit house strong, vibrant, and doing good work in the community.