If you work with or for an organization that relies on mail impress your boss or clients by giving them a heads up on a real threat to their organization’s future.

Better yet: take a few minutes and draft a letter they can send immediately to the Postal Rate Commission.

If you’re involved with a large mailer the savings could amount to millions of $.  Hundreds or tens of thousands of $ for mid-sized and smaller organizations.

Let me explain.

Each year the US Postal Services (USPS) is entitled by law to adjust prices for First Class Mail, Periodicals and Marketing Mail. Historically the increase has been limited to increases in the Consumer Price Index. (CPI).

No more–maybe.  You see, The Postal Rate Commission (PRC) –with 3 new Commissioners on board—is now proposing a set of complicated formulae that would enable rate hikes that range from 28-40% or more over the next five years.

In short, unless we act immediately the acronyms—USPS, CPI, and PRC—could spell BIG TROUBLE for the nonprofit sector.

YOUR ACTION NEEDED RIGHT NOW

The Postal Rate Commission seems confident it has the votes to impose these outrageous rate increases.  Increases that won’t do much to reform the postal system but will have a major and negative effect on nonprofit mailers.

We’ve stopped them before.  And, we can stop them again.  But not unless they hear immediately – and directly by letter —from nonprofit organizations themselves. 

DEADLINE:  Letters from the nonprofit you work for or from nonprofits you consult with must be postmarked no later than January 31^st.

The Action You Should Take

According to the experts at The Nonprofit Alliance, the organization that’s quarterbacking this battle for our sector, “the Postal Rate Commission staff  have made it clear that they want to hear directly from nonprofit mailers.  It’s a simple matter, really.  If nonprofit mailers wish to preserve predictable CPI-capped rates, then sending that message directly to the PRC is the way to affect that outcome.”

This communication to the PRC no more challenging than you do with donors, members and the public every day.

• Briefly describe your organization’s mission and beneficiaries
• Describe your organization’s reliance on mail for fundraising and communication
• Most importantly, describe in real-world terms what immodest price increases in postage and reductions in fundraising income that would cause will do to those you serve (fewer animals saved; fewer meals provided; shorter clinic hours; etc).

Here are some examples of letters that were submitted by nonprofits to the PRC in 2017—the last action effort by nonprofits that that successfully stopped the last rate increase proposal:

Example 1– The Christian Appalachian Project letter shows describes the organization’s beneficiaries.

Example 2– The Franciscans’ letter describes the effect of a rate increase in more general but quite effective terms.

Example 3-The American Lung Association –a large volume mailer—makes quite clear the immense negative effect of an unreasonable increase.

You’ll see how each letter illustrates the unique place of nonprofits in the mailing community.                         

           Please Don’t Delay

With less than two weeks to act, please send whatever level of detail you can, but send it in the form of a a letter! Partners/agencies/consultants: You are critical in this effort. Step up and help your clients calculate the impact that the proposed postage increase will have on their bottom-line direct marketing revenue.

Again:  The deadline for submitting comments is February 3 which means shooting for a January 31 postmark to be safe.

 How To Comment

Send your nonprofit organization’s letter –via postal mail NOT by e-mail to:

Postal Regulatory Commission

901 New York Avenue NW

Suite 200

Washington, DC 20268

• Make sure your letter cites or references Docket RM2017-3.
• Postmark it no later than January 31.
• Send a copy to The Nonprofit Alliance via email to Bob Tigner at rtigner@tnpa.org

If you have any questions or would like the experts at The Nonprofit Alliance to review your letter before sending, please contact Bob Tigner.

Thank you for taking immediate action.

Roger