Hoping to start up a fund-raising effort for your Lake Clarke Shores non-profit organization … but unsure where to begin? Perhaps the person who supervised the earlier outreach retired or departed? Or, you’re just low on help and long on tasks to be done?
You want a turnkey mailing service that comprehends how direct mail for non-profits works. Put differently, you need Bresser’s Information Services, a mail service provider (MSP) that does the heavy lifting fund-raising can be ambiguous, and ripe for pitfalls. How do non-profit postage rates work? Which types of operations 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 significantly reduced non-profit postage rates.
You can reap serious savings on postage … as long as you stick to the rules. Bresser’s Information Services understands them inside and out, and is prepared to help.
Remember, nothing that has to be sent 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 jump onto the non-profit status of another Lake Clarke Shores organization. It won’t fly. Authorized organizations are prohibited from sharing their mailing privilege. Get 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 make the difference in a decision returning in days, versus weeks.
Is your Lake Clarke Shores organization eligible? Most 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 down to business. 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 largest postage savings, and delivering 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 give 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 materials. We know the rules, the rates, and how to land your fund-raising outreach in the right hands.
Contact us to launch your next Lake Clarke Shores 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.