Bulk Mailing - It's not that difficult

Today I went to the Bulk Mailing Office at the Hartford (CT) Post Office.  As usual, it was a breeze and my two mailings, both membership requests, one ffor 840 and one of 1016 went really well.

Welcome to direct mail marketing.  For non-profits, Bulk Mail is a pretty easy process.  While the postal regulations change on a regular basis, it's not difficult to get the answers you need.  Be careful about taking advice from another individual that "does bulk".  They may have a different permit and then send you off on a wild goose chase.  You need to ask the right questions.  So here's a primer of questions and answers for you.  I'll say one thing, the staff at the Bulk Mail office are so helpful!

How do I get started in bulk mail?

You need to get a Permit for non-profits.  There is an application process, Form ps3624, and your 501(c)3 letter, articles of incorporation and some of your typical paperwork like newsletter, brochures, meeting minutes to name a few.  There is annnual fee to keep the account.  Depending on the size and frequency of mailings, you can save a bundle.  Generally, you need 200 pieces in one mailing to use Bulk and get the discount on the rate.

How do we get the stamps to mail our letters in bulk?

Once you get your permit, you'll have a indicia - it looks like a stamp and lists your permit number.  Have you printer print it on your mailing envelopes.  Actually print it on all your envelopes.  If you use an envelope for regular first class mailing, then a regular postage stamp fits right over the indicia.  Plan Ahead - at budget time, check with membership, book sale, fund raising committees, etc and estimate how many envelopes you all will need.  Printing bigger batches of envelopes cost less.  Our printer will keep the extra boxes of envelopes at their shop as a convenience for us.

How much money should be in our postage account?
Next you need to deposit money to your postage account.  You send a check with your postal permit number and instructions to deposit the money into your account.

I strongly recommend that your Board establish a balance to keep in your postage account.  We established that it should be $500.  This was based on two membership mailings and a newsletter mailing that could happen all in about two weeks time.  Once money is expended from the account for a mailing, the Treasurer should send a check to your postal account to bring it back up to the prescribed amount as soon as possible. 
Warning! If you don't have enough money for a mailing, and need it to go today, then you will need to get currency (not a check or charge card) and deposit into your account before they will handle your mailing.  Plan Ahead -  check with your Treasurer and let him/her know when you'll be doing the mailings during the year. 

Are there any limitations?
Yes, there are limitations and regulations regarding types of mail pieces.  Size, thickness, sealing, staples, etc - it all matters.  While this article is about mailing letter size envelopes, you should be able to ask great questions about your mail piece.   The envelopes need to be sealed, yes that means licked sealed shut!  No tape, no stickers - as those items will get caught in the mail machines.

Each mail piece must be identical.  There can not be any indication of personalization on the pieces.  It's okay if it is personalized via a mail merge, such a member ID number, or membership level.  It's not okay if you write a personal note on the one going to your neighbor or to those big donors.  I used a scan of my signature so each letter looks like it is signed.

Plan Ahead - if you wish to write a personal note to those big donors, put them in a separate mailing.  While it does cost more postage, it's the "not bulk" impression and the personal note that lets those donors know how much you really appreciate their committment to your organization.

How do you sort them?
I would suggest that you pay a visit to the Bulk Mailing office of your post office.  That way you can learn directly from the staff how to sort them.  First of all, you generally sort the mail in the first three digits of the zip code.  Example, our zip is "06111", yes we are a one zip town.  Therefore a mail piece beginning with ""061" would be sorted together.  Actually we sort "060" and "061" and "062" together.  That's because the Hartford office handles those zipcodes.  Any other zipcodes are sorted together and are referred to as Mixed.

The mailing trays come from the post office.  The 2 foot tray can hold from about 150 to 300 envelopes depending on the thickness.  The 1 foot tray is about half that amount.  You'll need tickets to put in front on the the trays.  Watch the direction of the tray as it is important that the envelopes face the front of the tray.

What form do we use?
You use PS Form 3602-NZ revision March 2010.  Fill out page one, make sure you have your USPS Nonprofit Auth No.  Page two is to compute the actual postage according to the type/location of the mail.  If you are similar to us, we just have two types - D2 for Mixed and D5 for the "060+061+062".  Whatever you do - check first!!!  The bulk cost, for both mailings, was $217.35 vs. regular 1st class at $816.64!  The savings alone paid for the annual fee for the postal permit.

Getting to the Post Office - what else to bring?
Now all your trays are sorted and the paper work is ready, its time to get to the post office.  Be aware, there are hours that you can bring in bulk mail.  Hartford doesn't accept bulk before 10am and the best time to deliver you mail is around 11:30am.  Besides your trays and Form 3602-NZ,  bring a sample of what you are mailing including the envelope.  Sometimes they ask for a sample, sometimes they don't.  Note, the staff will open a "live" piece of mail and reseal it with a stamp saying it was opened for postal inspection.
Plan Ahead - Remember to get empty trays and covers to replenish your supply.  I recommend that you have trays for at least two mailings plus on hand.

Bulk mailing is a great way to stretch your fund raising dollars.  I hope that the above information will help you get started or improve your process of getting the mail out!