Non-profit mailing rates and direct mail
If you are a non-profit organization, you qualify for the non-profit mail rates offered by the United States Postal Service (USPS). However, taking advantage of non-profit postage can be a time-consuming and confusing process.
Luckily Postalytics allows non-profits to save on shipping rates without the hassle.
When it comes to mailing your most important letters and postcards, such as appeals and fundraising solicitations, there is no better provider than Postalytics. With a network of nationwide printing partners and free design templates, we will make your non-profit’s materials look great while saving you money on postage.
Postalytics is the only direct mail automation platform that offers access to special USPS pricing for non-profits. In addition to saving money on postage, your non-profit will also save on the costs associated with designing, producing, and printing the materials, thanks to our free letter and postcard templates.
Let us look at what the USPS can do for your non-profit direct mail campaigns and what you need to know to send a non-profit direct mail campaign.
Table of contents
What is non-profit standard mail?
USPS Standard Mail is now referred to as USPS Marketing Mail and is a program that benefits all non-profit organizations that meet specific requirements. You can send non-profit mail with the USPS Marketing Mail at a discount of up to 60% off the price of First-Class Mail.
Non-profit postal mail cannot contain content that must be sent as First-Class Mail. Thus, invoices, statements, and handwritten or typed letters are not eligible for USPS Marketing Mail.
Once an organization has non-profit status and a non-profit standard mail authorization number, it can mail at Nonprofit Standard Mail rates at any post office that accepts presorted mail within the United States.
Who can access non-profit mailing rates?
Recognition of non-profit status by the IRS does not automatically qualify an organization to mail at USPS Marketing Mail non-profit rates. The organization must meet certain standards and obtain special approval from the U.S. Postal Service to benefit from non-profit postage rates.
The organization must also be organized for non-profit purposes and may not direct any portion of its net income to private shareholders or individuals.
What is the postage rate for 2024?
The last increase raised the postage rate for 2024 from 60 cents to 63 cents. Increases like these may seem small to the average consumer. But to non-profits, they have an impact. They will have to spend more on marketing and outreach, which will be difficult for organizations with limited budgets.
Will postage rates go up in 2024?
Non-profit USPS Marketing Mail rates increased an average of 7.8 percent in 2021. Because postal rate increases are being challenged, it is not clear if (and by how much) postal rates will increase in 2024.
However, the most significant increases will be in First Class Mail, Marketing Mail, periodicals, package services, and special services if they do.
What is the non-profit mailing rate for 2024?
The USPS offers many rates for small-volume marketing mail. They are divided into letter mail, flat/large envelopes, parcels, marketing packages, and Parcel Select Lightweight packages.
There is no single postage rate for USPS Marketing Mail for non-profit organizations. You can calculate postage for non-profit mail for 2024 using the USPS’s Business Postage Price Calculator. If you are looking at non-profit postage prices, you can save about $0.35 per piece for bulk mail compared to First Class mail.
A direct mail campaign can be expensive and time-consuming for many non-profits. But with Postalytics, it’s a different story. With our automation tools, you can design, print, mail, and track your campaign at the best prices in the industry. Your direct mail campaign will cost as little as 57 cents per piece.
Do non-profits get a discount on shipping?
The Cooperative Mail Rule (CMR) allows one or more authorized non-profit organizations to share the cost, risk, or benefit of a mailing at non-profit rates.
The rule applies only to non-profit organizations and prohibits for-profit organizations from sharing the cost or risk with the non-profit organization. As long as all cooperating non-profits are authorized to mail at the rate, the CMR may allow non-profits to share the cost of non-profit mail.
How to use non-profit stamps
When we refer to “non-profit” stamps, we mean precanceled stamps. The USPS has a special type of stamp called precanceled stamps used for mailings. These stamps cost less than regular postage, but the cost is not charged until after posting the item at the post office.
If you use First Class mail for a standard letter, expect to pay between 42.3¢ and 49.4¢, compared to 63¢ for a regular stamped letter. If you use a prepaid non-profit precanceled stamp, you must contact the post office where your organization has its permit for non-profit mail.
How to look up a non-profit authorization number
An NPA number lets mail carriers know that the organization placed on your envelope is a non-profit organization that can mail at a lower postage rate. If your request for non-profit status is approved, the Postal Service will send you an approval letter with your non-profit authorization number, so you won’t have to look it up.
Non-profit mailing permits
A permit number and a non-profit authorization number are different from the USPS’s perspective. They are also different from your federal income tax number.
A permit number identifies your organization’s relationship with a local post office and is relevant only to that post office. A non-profit authorization number is assigned to an authorized organization by the USPS nationwide and tells the post office that your organization may mail at the lower non-profit rates.
You don’t need a permit to send unmarked mail through the United States Postal Service. However, you will need to purchase the annual bulk mailing fee if you wish to do so.
Another benefit of using Postalytics for your non-profit direct mail campaigns is that you do not need a non-profit authorization number, have non-profit status, or have to pay for a non-profit mailing permit.
Thanks to our bulk mailing tools, you can achieve discounted mailing rates for your non-profit without them and don’t have to worry about mail volume.
Ready to save on non-profit mailing rates?
Non-profit organizations need to be frugal with their marketing budgets. Postal rates are rising, and maximizing financial resources can be a challenge. The good news is that you can save money on postage by choosing the right mailing service provider.
Clients who use Postalytics will improve their budget margins and response to their direct mail fundraising campaigns and advertising mailers.
Clients get the added benefits and cost savings of seamlessly integrating your campaign with multi-channel campaigns, thanks to PoPostalytics’ools for direct mail integration and campaign reporting tools that tell you exactly where your mail is and who has responded.
You can also save money for your noon-profit budget by spending less time on a direct mail campaign. Instead of taking your mailing to the nearest post office location to use non-profit precanceled stamps or contacting postcard designers and printers, you can do it in minutes without leaving your desk.
Sign up for a free account if you want to send a sample non-profit postcard using Postalytics’ automated mailing services to see how it works.