Author: Steve Kearney

Doc #1: MTAC Task Team 27 Communication Document – February 22, 2019  This document is intended to help communicate and socialize to a broader community within the mailing industry the potential next steps in addressing the Advance Federal Register Notice (AFRN) on potential changes to Marketing Mail content.  This AFRN was issued by the Postal…

Nonprofit Mailers Applaud USPS Success in Package Market and Reasonable Regulatory Hurdle February 6, 2019 While we are major mailers of letters, flats and periodicals, nonprofits still benefit from U.S. Postal Service success in the package business.  Packages provide a large and growing amount of revenue that helps to fund USPS infrastructure and operations.  The…

Nonprofit Mailers Well-Represented on Marketing Mail Task Team: Hopeful for Positive Results February 6, 2019 With several MTAC members representing nonprofits on the Marketing Mail Task Team, we are cautiously optimistic.  It has been 166 days since the Postal Service announced it was contemplating changes to the rules about allowable content in Marketing Mail (Standard…

February 6, 2019 We recommend that nonprofits consider participating in the Postal Service’s tactile and sensory promotion.  For reasons very similar to nonprofits’ use of physical premiums, the USPS wants to encourage testing of specific kinds of enhancements that have been found to increase response rates.  They are offering 2 percent postage discounts for mailers…

February 6, 2019 With the President’s Task Force report out, and the Postal Regulatory Commission with a full slate of Commissioners, something all mailers will need to watch for is further action by the PRC on its ten-year rate review. The Commission’s first proposal was widely panned by just about every party, and even three…

February 6, 2019 PRC Chairman Robert Taub The Postal Regulatory Commission announced that it will host an off-the-record technical conference on February 15, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. in the Commission’s hearing room, which will be open to members of the public.  This might be the most highly-followed PRC technical conference in a long time because…

Get Your Forever Stamps Now January 15, 2019 Effective Sunday, January 27, 2019, the postage rate for single-piece First-Class letter stamps will go up 5 cents to 55 cents.  Nonprofits should consider stocking up on 50 cent Forever stamps before the record 10 percent increase. Forever stamps retain their value indefinitely regardless of future postage…

USPS Earned Value Promotion Good for Many Nonprofits January 15, 2019 Many nonprofits have found significant value by participating in USPS Earned Value Promotions.  The 2019 version continues, with slight variation, those held in previous years, but not 2018.  The idea is to promote the use of Business Rely Mail, Courtesy Reply Mail and Share…