Frequently Asked Questions

1. If I am authorized by the Government as a Nonprofit, am I automatically authorized with the Post Office to get special rates?

No! In order to qualify for special Nonprofit Postal rates, two things must happen. First, your organization must receive authorization from both the Government and the Post Office recognizing you as a Nonprofit organization.

The second criteria for receiving special rates is that each mailing must meet specific rules that apply lo Nonprofit Standard Mail.

Both the content of your mailings and the way your mailings are designed and prepared will determine whether that specific mailing will qualify al Nonprofit rates and at what level the rates will be.

2. What happens to my mailings if I find out that I am not authorized as a Nonprofit with the Post Office?

If you have not applied lo the Post Office lo be authorized for Nonprofit status, any mailings that you do send out must go out at regular Standard Mail rates. If your application is approved, your organization is eligible for a refund of the difference in postage between the regular Standard Mail (A) rates paid and !he applicable Nonprofit Standard Mail rates for mailings entered after the effective date of the application.

Please note that just because you are authorized to mail at Nonprofit rates at one post office does not mean that you can mail a! Nonprofit rates at another post office, You must get special permission to do so.

3. Are there 1st Class Rates for Nonprofits?

There is no such thing as 1st Class rates for Nonprofits. Nonprofit organizations must pay the same prices as everyone else if they want their mail to go out 1st Class or 1st Class Pre-sort.

4. What are the Pros and Cons of Nonprofit Mail?

The pros are obviously the postage savings you receive when you mail at the Nonprofit rates. The cons with any type of Standard Mail is that it takes much longer for your mail to be delivered. All Standard and Nonprofit Mail is delivered by truck.

Nonprofit Standard Mail sent out from Hartford, CT to the Tri-state area will usually take about 5-8 working days for delivery. Mail being delivered lo the East Coast can take about 8-10 days; mail to the Mid-West can lake up to 2 weeks; and mail to the West Coast can take up to 3 weeks for delivery.

The other disadvantage of all Standard Mail is that any undeliverable addresses are not returned to the sender, but thrown away. The only way around this is by printing a special 'endorsement' on your mailing pieces instructing the Post Office to return the mailing piece (there are additional fees for doing this).

5. Is the Post Office allowed to open and read my mail?

Yes! First Class mail is the only type of mail that the Post Office is not allowed to open and read.

In opening up your Nonprofit mail, the post office is looking to make sure: that you are adhering to the strict policies regarding the contents of your mailings.

The Post Office would not want a Nonprofit organization using their special rates to send out malarial for an unauthorized organization.

6. Must I have our return address on my mailing piece?

All matter mailed at the Nonprofit Standard Mail rates must identify the authorized organization. If a return address is included on the mail piece, the address must be the authorized organization's address.

The authorized organization's name and return address must appear either on the outside of the mail piece or in a prominent place on the material mailed.

7. Can I send out a ''Product'' at special Nonprofit rates?

For a 'product' to be eligible for mailing at the Nonprofit rates, it must meet one of three statutory provisions:

• A low cost item where the actual cost lo the authorized organization is no more than $6,75.
• A gift or donation where the item obtained by the authorized organization was at no cost.
• A periodic publication meeting certain postal requirements.

8. Can I include advertisements and endorsements in my mailing?

If your mail piece contains advertising for a product or service, it must be determined whether it is eligible for special Nonprofit rates.

For example, advertisements for a credit, debit or charge card is prohibited if you want the mail to go out at the special Nonprofit rates. The same may apply to advertisements promoting insurance policies or travel arrangements.

9. How can I get the lowest possible postage rates?

Besides making sure that what you are putting into your mailings are eligible for Nonprofit rates, it is equally important to design your mailing piece so that you can take advantage of all the postal discounts.

From the color of your mail piece to the area where you are putting the addresses, in order to get !he lowest postal discounts, you must follow the strict guidelines that the Post Office sets. This is where Better Lists Inc. can help.

10. Why should I use Better Lists Inc. as my mailing house?

We realize that it is very important for Nonprofits to watch their bottom line. Tthat is why we take pride in acting as advisors in showing you how to save money on your mailings as well as avoid any postage penalties.

At Better Lists Inc., we are dedicated to making our clients' mail look their best, go out on time and keep their costs down.