AFP Lobby Week: Contact Your Member of Congress About the Nonprofit Postage Rate Increase

(For information on writing letters about out other priorities, click here for information on the universal charitable deduction and here for information about the IRA Legacy Act.)

AFP is celebrating April 26 – 30 as our Virtual Lobby Week, with chapters across the United States meeting with members of Congress and their staff to push forward our key legislative priorities for 2021.

One of our priorities is United States Postal Service’s (USPS) plan to increase nonprofit postage rates by 6 – 8.5% depending on the type of mail. You can learn all about the increases here on our postal rates issue page.

In addition to chapter meetings, we’re asking all U.S. members to send letters to their Representatives and Senators and urge them to contact the Postal Service and delay the rates until 2022.

Sending Your Nonprofit Postal Rates Letter

Nonprofit mailers face a 6 to 8.5% increase—far higher than the rate of inflation—in postal rates (depending on the class of mail) that is expected to take effect in early July.  This is in addition to the January 2021 rate increase already implemented. And more increases could continue to occur in following years because of a major change in how nonprofit postage rates are set, so your letters are needed!

To find out whom your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators are, along with their contact information, click here and search on your zip code.

Feel free to personalize the template letters below and email it to your members of Congress today! Information in bold and brackets indicate where you need to personalize your letter.

Please send copies of your emails to paffairs@afpglobal.org, and you can use the same email address if you have any questions.

Sample Letter on Nonprofit Postage Rates

Dear [Representative or Senator] [NAME]:

As the (Title) of (Name of your organization) located in (city/town and state) that employs (cite the number of employees), I urge you to contact Postmaster General DeJoy and the Board of Governors of the Postal Service to request the Postal Service NOT raise postage rates higher than the rate of inflation, or CPI. 

Our organization is facing the daunting challenge of a potential rate increase of 6% to 8.5%, depending on the class of mail. And time is of the essence! Postage rate increases are expected to hit nonprofits this summer or early fall.

As someone who cares deeply about the nonprofit sector, you understand that these increases will hit nonprofits hard, especially when our budget and services have already been affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonprofit and social organizations rely on the USPS to communicate with our constituents, donors, and potential donors.

Very simply, in the middle of the worst pandemic in over 100 years and with the nation having been in an inflation environment of 2% or less each year, raising postal rates 6% to 8.5% is not only unfair, but will cripple nonprofits at a time when they are needed most by the many people they help!

In fact, (cite the approximate added cost of the postal rate increase on your mailing budget). This added cost will require us to (cite how the increased postal cost will limit your mission. For example, a nonprofit addressing food insecurity will have to reduce "X number" of meals for those it helps.)

Please join us in our effort to defend the nonprofit community against unreasonable postal rate increases by contacting Postmaster General DeJoy and the Board of Governors of the Postal Service and call on them to postpone any rate increases until 2022.

Sincerely,