NONPROFIT MAILERS ACROSS NATION URGE STABLE, AFFORDABLE POSTAGE RATES

Washington, DC, March 20, 2017– As the comment period comes to a close today, many nonprofit organizations that rely on postal mail have urged the Postal Regulatory Commission to keep the inflation cap on postage increases. Many nonprofits have described how they raise most of their funds through the mail and would be forced to seriously curtail their missions if the regulator eliminates price controls on the U.S. Postal Service.

“Our members would experience real human negative impacts if the monopoly mail provider is allowed to raise prices faster than the rest of the economy. We appreciate their willingness to share the importance of affordable mail for the critical missions they perform.” said Alliance executive director Stephen Kearney.

We are including here excerpts from some of the letters. Read all of the letters by clicking here.

“In 2016, over 11,000 participants received direct services through 16 Human Services Programs in Eastern KY…
                *15, 132 families were served at our Grateful Threadz Thrift store for clothing and other essential items.
                *2,267 families were served at our Grateful Bread Food Pantry
                * 1,039 low-income or at-risk family members received professional counseling services…A postage increase will mean we are unable to provide the current level of services, desperately needed in this region.”
–The Christian Appalachian Project, Lexington, KY

“Quite simply, donations are down, yet the need for charitable services are greater than ever before. We, like most nonprofits, have cut our costs to the bone. An immediate rate increase over the Consumer Price Index would force nonprofits like us to drastically cut back on fundraising campaigns, which would reduce spending on more programs, to merely stay afloat.”
– Salesian Missions, New Rochelle, NY

“Over the years, US Postal rates have been on a steady increase; moreover, the Oblate Missions 2016 postal bill hit an all-time high of $2,408,768.18. This number is now almost 25% of the total operational cost here in our San Antonio, TX location…Over the years our postal bill has grown from a less than 5% portion to its current and unsustainable rate of 25%. The current 25% cost for postage is cutting deeply into the humanitarian work we do here at Oblate Missions. The people we serve cannot afford an endless increase on postal rates…”    – Oblate Missions, San Antonio, TX

“Be it the beautiful music and opera on classical WETA or beloved programs on WETA TV such as the PBS NewsHour, Nature, NOVA, Frontline, wonderful documentaries by Ken Burns or the lineup of commercial-free educational children’s programs, member support helps WETA to produce and broadcast programs that educate, inspire, and entertain. A significant portion of those funds is raised through the U.S. mail system, and our ability to raise those funds would be compromised through higher postal rates.”
               – WETA Public Broadcasting, Washington, D.C.

“Our mission is to secure, through direct mail, material support for the work of the Franciscan friars in our missions…it has enabled us to provide schools and education for the children, so that they can grow up and become sufficient to provide for themselves and their families. We have homes for the elderly, food programs, primary medical care with clinics and eye clinics…soup kitchens, scholarship programs for needy children, help with housing, nutrition programs and also vocational training programs…We think you can see our concern if our mailings must be cut due to postage increases. Mail is an integral part of our success.”

– Franciscan Mission Associates, Mount Vernon, NY       

“Since its inception, we have helped more than 40,000 children with cancer and their families by providing over $63,000,000 in program distributions. For thirty years families from all over the country have counted on the NCCS to provide vital program services during extremely traumatic and difficult times….All of these vital program services are jeopardized by continuous increases in program expenses, such as postal rate hikes, and they only serve to diminish our ability to assist these families.”
                – The National Children’s Cancer Society, St. Louis, MO

“Direct mail campaigns make up a significant part of our budgets. Approximately 75% of our income would be at risk. Communications with donors that are not solicitations are also of great importance. We must share information with our donors so that they understand how their gifts are impacting our mission. We will find it difficult to solicit and share the outcomes of their generosity if we must pay more to do so.”
                – Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, Hobart, IN

“Currently, the economic cost of cancer exceeds that of any other disease and is estimated at an annual economic cost of $895 billion per year. By following AICR’s recommendations, Americans can prevent around one third of the most common cancers…AICR uses the “mail” [sic] as one of main communication channels to carry out our mission of educating the public on…the prevention, treatment, and survival of cancer.”
                 – The American Institute for Cancer Research, Washington, D.C.

“As one of the largest nonprofit mailers in the country, we send over 65 million pieces each year, generating approximately 23 percent of our 2016 budget…Every dollar we are compelled to spend on administrative costs, such as postage, is a dollar that could spend directly fighting prematurity and promoting positive birth outcomes.”
                 – The March of Dimes, Washington, D.C.

These stories, and others posted to the PRC website, make a powerful statement as to the importance of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) cap on postage rate increases, despite current USPS efforts to have it removed. Their comments in full can be found on the PRC website, listed under RM2017-3. More information to come as the Rate Review continues.

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The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers since 1980 has helped nonprofits achieve critical missions through effective, affordable use of mail.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Stephen Kearney at 202-462-5123 or email at alliance@nonprofitmailers.org.