Direct mail for nonprofit & fundraising
Nonprofit direct mail at nonprofit postage: appeals, newsletters and acquisition
Direct mail for nonprofits, churches, schools and associations: fundraising appeal letters with reply devices, donor newsletters, acquisition postcards and event invitations, mailed at USPS nonprofit postage rates.
Direct mail remains the largest single source of individual giving for most nonprofits, and the reason is structural: a letter with a reply device and a return envelope in the hands of a donor who has given before produces gifts at a rate no email can approach. The USPS nonprofit rate, roughly half the commercial Marketing Mail rate, makes it affordable at scale.
We produce the whole package: the appeal letter with variable ask amounts based on giving history, the reply card, the courtesy or business reply envelope, the outer envelope, and the mailing itself at nonprofit rates under your USPS nonprofit authorization. Newsletters, acquisition postcards, event invitations and thank-you cards run on the same account.
What nonprofit & fundraising businesses mail
- Annual and year-end appeal letters with variable ask strings
- Donor newsletters and impact reports as self-mailers or in envelopes
- Acquisition postcards to lookalike households near the mission
- Lapsed-donor reactivation letters
- Event invitations and gala save-the-dates
- Church and school EDDM for services, enrollment and events
Qualifying for nonprofit postage
Organizations with a USPS nonprofit authorization (obtained with PS Form 3624 and proof of nonprofit status) mail Marketing Mail at the nonprofit rate, roughly half the commercial rate at the same sort level; the current USPS figures are in our direct mail cost guide. The authorization is tied to your organization, and we mail under it through our permit, so you get the rate without running a mail room. If you do not have the authorization yet, we walk you through the form.
What an appeal package should include
A letter of one to four pages, in the voice of a person, telling one story and asking for one thing, with the ask amounts printed per donor based on their last gift. A reply card with those amounts as checkboxes and space for a credit card or a QR code to give online. A return envelope, postage-paid for house-file donors and courtesy reply for acquisition. An outer envelope with a teaser or a plain one, tested. The year-end appeal, mailed to land between November 15 and December 5, is usually the largest single mailing of the year.
Acquisition and lapsed donors
New donors come from acquisition mail to households that look like your donors: age, income, giving propensity, geography. It rarely breaks even on the first gift; it pays on the second and third, which is why the thank-you and the newsletter matter as much as the appeal. Lapsed donors, anyone who gave in the last three years but not this year, are the cheapest gifts you have not asked for; a "we miss you" letter with a specific ask brings a share of them back.
Get a quote in minutes
Quote a nonprofit & fundraising mailing for your city
Send the postcard size, the quantity and the city it is going to. Pricing is set for your city and your job, so you get a written quote — printing, mail processing and postage — usually within a business hour, with no obligation.
Answers
Nonprofit & Fundraising direct mail questions
What is the nonprofit postage rate in 2026?
USPS Nonprofit Marketing Mail runs at roughly half the commercial Marketing Mail rate at the same sort level; the per-piece figures effective July 12, 2026 are in our direct mail cost guide. The organization must hold a USPS nonprofit authorization, which we mail under through our permit.
How much does a nonprofit appeal mailing cost?
It is quoted for the organization's city and the package: a one-page letter with a reply card and a return envelope in a #10 window, mailed at the nonprofit rate, is the economical appeal; longer letters and business reply postage add to it. Send the donor file size and the package through the quote form for a written quote, usually within a business hour.
Can churches and schools use nonprofit rates?
Yes, if they hold a USPS nonprofit mailing authorization, which most religious, educational and charitable organizations qualify for. EDDM is also available to any organization at the flat EDDM Retail rate without an authorization.