Customer Support Ruling

Materials Furnished to an Authorized Nonprofit Organization Mailable at the Nonprofit Standard Mail Rates
UPDATED January 2006

PS-120 (703.1.6)

This Customer Support Ruling discusses materials that were provided to an authorized organization by an outside party or entity that are mailable by the authorized nonprofit organization at the Nonprofit Standard Mail (nonprofit) rates.

The authority for qualified nonprofit organizations to mail matter at nonprofit rates was established in law by the Congress and is carried forward today under provisions of law stated in the Postal Reorganization Act and subsequent amendments.  The Postal Service has no authority, except as provided in Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 703.1.6, to restrict the content or audience of matter mailed at the nonprofit rates by properly qualified and authorized nonprofit organizations, as long as the matter mailed is that of the authorized organization.

Pamphlets, leaflets, and other miscellaneous materials furnished to a local congregation by the national or regional body of the church are generally considered to be those of the local congregation and may be included in the nonprofit mailings of the local congregation at the mailing expense of the local congregation.  However, to ensure that such materials are identifiable as belonging to the congregation that mails them, the name of the congregation (authorized nonprofit organization) should be printed or rubber stamped on the materials.  As an alternative, it is suggested that printed cover letters identifying the materials as those of the church be enclosed in the mailpieces.

The content of this ruling may further be applied to national or parent organizations that provide printed materials to their local organizations.  All materials furnished to the local organization by a national or parent organization must become the materials of the authorized nonprofit organization; be included in the mailing at the discretion of the authorized organization; and be properly identified as indicated above prior to mailing at the Nonprofit Standard Mail rates.

(Signed)
Sherry Suggs
Manager
Mailing Standards
United States Postal Service
Washington DC 20260-3436