Nonprofit Standard Mail: A Lower-Cost Option
Helpful Facts about Nonprofit Standard Mail
- Why use Nonprofit Standard Mail? It is an effective means to reach a large audience at a cost of about 1/3 that of first class mailings.
- Delivery time: Nonprofit Standard Mail has no promised delivery standards, but is usually delivered in a week or two within the United States, and usually not more than five days within a radius of 500 miles.
- UBalt has a permit: The University has a nonprofit permit #4903 with the U.S. Postal Service to prepare standard mailings.
Nonprofit Standard Mail Requirements
- Minimum: 200 pieces.
- Where to mail: The post office. Do not put standard mail in U.S. Mail collection boxes.
- Uniform pieces: All pieces in the mailing must belong to the same processing category (i.e., all the same size envelope). All pieces must be identical in size, weight and number of enclosures.
- No staples.
- U.S. Postal zip codes only.
- Mail prep: All pieces must be faced in the same way with the address showing, in ascending zip code order. Each mailing must be merged and submitted as a single mailing rather separated groupings.
- Return address: Each mail piece must have a complete return address. All matter mailed at nonprofit standard mail rates must identify the authorized organization. Example: University of Baltimore, 1420 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD. 21201.
- Nonprofit Standard mail is subject to postal inspection. The mail piece may be reviewed by the postal facility prior to acceptance to ensure that contents meet the eligibility requirements of nonprofit mail. If the contents fail inspection, the mail will be sent at the first class rate.
- Postage charges for imprinted nonprofit standard mail are paid from an advance deposit account with the U.S. Postal Service. Mail Services charged directly to each department’s budget monthly based on the actual usage of service.
Have questions? To ensure that your mailing meets the nonprofit standard mail requirements, please contact Mail Services prior to printing the mail piece at extension 4353 or 4349.