Charities Struggle With Postal-Rate Increases

With federal postage rates set to climb by a few cents per item on May 14, nonprofit groups must either swallow the costs or look for new ways to promote their causes, reports The Palm Beach Post.

An average group will see a postage increase — the second in a year and a half — of 6.7 percent, reports the article. To offset those costs, many groups will switch to smaller pieces of mail or will send out mailings less frequently. Still others will concentrate on reaching out to people via the Internet.

The article also says that unless the mail is a standard shape and size, bulk mailers can expect to pay 100 to 400 percent more than they would with standard envelopes.

The Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation has asked the U.S. Postal Service to delay the hike until December 31, but most nonprofit groups have started to make plans for an increase, assuming there will be no delay, the article says.

Read The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s coverage of increased postal rates, as well as charities that have lobbied for delays,

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