Tag Archives: NONPROFITS

Direct Mail During Covid-19-Fund Raising

Eric Streiff wrote an amazing blog for Philanthropy Daily about fundraising during a crisis.  Check it out below:

Regardless of the crisis around us, nonprofits must continue to communicate with their constituents and also fundraise. Based on decades of experience and evidence, direct mail remains one of the most effective ways to stay in touch, communicate, and fundraise—even in a time of great uncertainty.

It is a proven marketing fact that organizations that chose to forge ahead during a crisis were typically more successful in the long run when compared to organizations that paused, stopped, or significantly altered communication, particularly fundraising appeals.

Direct mail is an incredibly effective way to stay in touch with your donors­ and help keep your organization top-of-mind. Read this blog in its entirety here.

Marketing for Local Nonprofits

We have had an overwhelming response to our award winning Marketing for Local Business Seminar Series.  In the process; we have had several companies request that we develop a series focused on nonprofits.  We are in the process of creating that series now.  We have reached out to national influencers to contribute and partner with these presentations.  We will review:

  • The impending USPS rate hike for nonprofits – Leo Raymond of Mailers Hub
  • How to compensate for upcoming postage increases through grants and other measures
  • What prompts people to donate – tips on creating your direct mail campaigns
  • How to use your direct mail campaign content in the digital realm through blogs, email marketing and social media

This series will be conducted at an offsite facility from 10am – 3pm with lunch included to be scheduled in mid-to-late September 2018.  If you have an interest in this series, please click here and we’ll contact you with details.

The Nonprofit Postal Rate Controversy

The PRC (Postal Regulatory Commission) has been petitioned for approval to amend its method of calculating Standard and Nonprofit (NP) prices.

Since 2000, the 60% rule applies to NP rates.  That means that the average NP revenue per piece should be 60% of the estimated average revenue per piece rate, class-wide.  The USPS wants to revert to using a methodology that was used prior to the passage of postal reform legislation where  regular and ECR (enhanced carrier route) rates are considered subclasses of mail.  The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers alerted members that by reverting to the prior methodology, prices could increase 3.3% to 6.9% over and above other increases that are proposed for implementation in January of 2018.

The PRC Public Representative recognized the potential “rate shock” facing nonprofit mailers, and urged the USPS to apply any corrective price adjustments (over the annual CPI cap increase) over more than two       price-adjustment cycles.

There isn’t a time constraint applicable for the PRC to issue a decision on the matter, and the comment period on the USPS proposal ended on September 18th.  Knowing the possibility of a legal challenge, the PRC may be more deliberate in issuing its ruling than usual.  We’ll keep you posted as this issue unfolds.

*from The Bureau-October 2017 issue