We need your help now. It is critical that as many nonprofit mailers as possible participate in the pricing review being performed by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).  

The PRC NEEDS to hear your story to understand the importance of the CPI (Consumer Price Index) inflation cap on postage increases. The comment period is open now, and comments must be received by Monday, March 20, 2017. Before the comment period ends, please take the time to compose and submit your comments. While writing your submission, we ask that you include the following:

1. Describe your mission, those you serve, and how mail is an integral part of your success.
2. Make clear that the recession and economic conditions have affected your operations, and that your budgets – and those your missions serve – can’t afford postage increases over the CPI.
3. Humanize what a rate increase, or reduction in funds raised, would mean to your mission and recipients. Translate the postage increase from a percentage or a dollar amount into real life examples such as meals served, families assisted, hospital beds provided, or research funded. Connecting the PRC to your mission in real, tangible terms is a powerful thing.
4. Please also include the docket number – RM2017-3.

There are two ways for your comments to be submitted, depending on your preference. They can be submitted via USPS mail, or by registering for an account on the PRC website and submitting them online.

To submit comments by mail:

In order for your letter to be processed in time to be included, please have all USPS mail pieces sent out no later than Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Address your letters to:

Postal Regulatory Commission
Re: Docket Number RM2017-3
901 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20268-0001

To submit comments online:

The PRC has created a streamlined process for first-time users of the online filing system. You will need to set up a temporary account with the PRC because their rules require participants to have an account that establishes their identity. We believe it will be well worth your effort to submit comments in support of the current pricing system. The process is as follows:

Online at www.prc.gov website following these steps:

• Set up a temporary account from a link on the Commission’s homepage titled “Ten Year Rate System Review.” The temporary account will be active for three months
• After the temporary account is set up, you will be prompted to log in using the username and password you created.
• Select the “Create Filing Record” option and follow the prompts to upload your comments. Your comments must reference Docket No. RM2017-3.
• If you experience problems filing comments online or uploading documents, contact the Commission’s Dockets department at dockets@prc.gov or call 202-789-6846 or 202-789-6845. A more detailed walk-through of the process can also be found on the Alliance website by clicking HERE.

Once received, your comments will be posted to the Docket page on the PRC website, and available to the public. This is an invaluable opportunity to share your story, illustrate the need to protect reasonable postage rates, and to inspire others to do so as well.

Please remember, the basic message should be that you are a nonprofit with an important mission; fulfilling your mission relies on affordable mail; the current USPS pricing system works well; and if postage rates were to increase above the rate of inflation it would have significant, specific negative consequences for your mission. Comments must be received by the PRC by Monday, March 20, 2017.

If you’ve not already, please familiarize yourself with the review that could change the way your postage rates are set, which can be found in our recent Alliance Report. We will be reporting further on the review throughout the coming three months.

As always, we are available to address your questions and concerns, and to assist you in any way possible. Thank you for your support of this critical call to action.