Amplify Donations with Direct Mail Nonprofit Postage Rates

As part of a nonprofit organization, you work hard for donations and do everything you can to wisely use every donated dollar that comes in. One way you can wisely use donations and maximize the efficiency of your campaigns is to send direct mail at discounted nonprofit postage rates.

Qualifying nonprofits can save up to 60% on postage. In addition to saving money with reduced postage rates, nonprofit direct mail can increase engagement, grow your donor list, and boost the success of your fundraising campaigns.

Easily Apply for Nonprofit Postage Rates

If you don’t already have a nonprofit postage permit, applying is simple. If you work in any of the following types of nonprofit organizations, you are eligible for the discounted rate:

• Agricultural
• Educational
• Fraternal
• Labor
• Philanthropic
• Religious
• Scientific
• Veterans
• Some Political Committees

All you need to do is fill out this form (PS Form 3624) and submit it to the USPS. Please note, you might have to attach additional paperwork to the form including tax documents.

If you have a large bulk mailing project coming up soon—for instance, you are preparing to send out some direct mail for your church or for a fundraising campaign—you can go ahead and fill out the form now and send the mail at the regular price. Then once you are approved for your nonprofit postage permit, you can apply for a refund.

To help expedite the process, or if you need assistance along the way, you can also work with a nonprofit direct mail pro.

Maximize Donation Dollars

With nonprofit postage rates, you can save up to 60% on postage, ultimately saving your organization hundreds or thousands of dollars. To get an idea of how much you will pay, first read the nonprofit mailing rules to make sure your direct mail piece qualifies, and then enter your mailer information into the USPS postage calculator. The calculator will quickly give you a chart with prices.

Stretch your donation dollars even further by partnering with a direct mail company and using their imprint indicia as opposed to manually applying pre-canceled nonprofit stamps. The indicia is printed on your mailer during the initial printing saving time and money.

Additional savings may also be available if your mailers are all going to the same area code or even neighboring area codes. Get mailing lists based on your ideal donor in specific locations to maximize your savings.

Reach Ideal Donors with Acquisition Lists

Send your nonprofit direct mail to your ideal donor using acquisition lists. These mailing lists are typically rented through a direct mail company that helps you find the best lists to meet your organization’s goals. You can get mailing lists based on recipient:

• Age
• Gender
• Income
• Previous engagement with nonprofits
• And more!

Targeting like-minded donors using acquisition lists can amplify your nonprofit savings even further. By sending mailers to the “right” people, you increase engagement, response rates, donations, and ROI.

Engaging Nonprofit Mailers

Build your fundraising campaign around a mix of mailers including postcards, personalized letters, event invitations, organization information, etc. Concise, easily scannable postcards can be sent at a very low cost. Include QR codes on postcards to increase engagement and direct recipients to your website or donation platform.

Letters sent in large envelopes, or flats, demonstrate value and importance and often have higher engagement rates. The larger size gives you the space to describe the purpose of your organization, how you use donations, and share success stories.

Fortunately, the nonprofit permit also allows you to send larger pieces at the discounted rate. You can send mailers weighing up to 3.3 ounces compared to 1 ounce for the regular first-class rate without increased postal fees.

You can also increase engagement by personalizing direct mail with the recipient’s name and a custom message and by making it easy for recipients to engage with your organization and send donations. Consider direct mail that includes:

• Buckslips
• QR codes
• Donation forms and envelopes
• Perforated tear-offs to subscribe to newsletters or request more information

Work with a Direct Mail Company for Fundraising Campaigns

At One Stop Mail, we are happy to work with nonprofit organizations and help make any and all mail-related processes go as smoothly as possible. We understand how busy you are, and we are proud to help streamline mailing processes that will save you and your nonprofit time, effort, and money.

We can benefit nonprofits in a number of ways, including:

• Offering access to targeted direct mailing lists.
• List and data cleaning.
• In-house designers for eye-catching mail pieces.
• Variable printing for more personalized mailers.
• Experience dealing with the United States Postal Service, including the USPS nonprofit application.

Reach out to the experts at One Stop Mail to learn how to get started!