Publication 417 - Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail ...

1 Transmittal LetterNonprofit usps Marketing Mail Eligibility: Nonprofit and Other Qualified OrganizationsPublication 417 January 2017 Transmittal Publication 417, Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail Eligibility: Nonprofit and Other Qualified Organizations, discusses eligibility, authorization, and the rules for mailing at the Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail ( Nonprofit ) prices. Many customers find it helpful to reference this Publication to gain authorization and determine the eligibility of their mailpiece. Customers may also consult their local postmaster or business mail entry manager for additional information about Nonprofit usps Marketing Copies are available online as follows.

2 Public: The public can access Publication 417 in PDF and HTML formats on postal Explorer at postal Service: usps employees can access Publication 417 in PDF and HTML formats on the usps Web to Use This Book. An introduction is located at the beginning of the book. It explains how information is organized and how each chapter is numbered. Also included are four appendices that contain case studies, questions and answers, Customer Support Rulings, and information on application Contact your local Post Office, business mail entry office, or the Pricing and Classification Service Center (PCSC) with comments or questions about our mailing standards - see Mailing Standards of the United States postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) for addresses and telephone numbers of business mail entry offices and the Date.

3 This Publication is effective January 2017. All previous issues of Publication 417 are obsoleteSteven W. MonteithVice President MarketingThe following trademarks appear in this Publication and are among the many trademarks owned by the United States postal Service :DMM , First-Class Mail , Post Office , postal Explorer , postal Service , United States postal Service , usps Marketing Mail , usps , ZIP Code , ZIP+4 .This is not a comprehensive list of all postal Service 2017iiiContents1 Introduction..11-1 Background .. 11-2 Publication 417 .. 11-3 Mailing Standards .. 21-4 Other Publications .. 21-5 postal Explorer.

4 22 Eligible and Ineligible Organizations ..32-1 Evaluation of Eligibility .. 32-2 Eligible Organizations .. Categories of Organizations .. Qualified Political Committees .. Voting Registration Officials .. 62-3 Ineligible Organizations.. Governmental Organizations.. Other Typical Ineligible Organizations.. 73 Application for Authorization ..93-1 Original Mailing Office.. General .. Completing PS Form 3624 .. General Documentation Requirements .. Additional Documents Concerning Operation .. Qualified Political Committees and Voting Registration Officials .. Submitting Application.

5 Appealing Denied Application .. 113-2 Additional Mailing Offices .. General .. Confirmation of Authorization .. 123-3 Mailing After Authorization .. Mailing Frequency and Revocation for Nonuse .. 124 Qualified Mailings ..154-1 Legal Responsibilities .. 154-2 Voter Registration Materials .. 154-3 Individual Mailings .. 15 Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail Eligibility: Nonprofit and Other Qualified OrganizationsivPublication General Standards .. Identification of Mailpieces .. 164-4 Postage Liability .. 175 Cooperative Mailings ..195-1 Overview .. 195-2 Eligible Mailings.

6 Scope of Cooperative Mail Rule .. Eligibility Factors .. Commercial Mailing Agent .. 205-3 Ineligible Mailings .. 215-4 Political Committee Mailings .. Applying the Cooperative Mail Rules .. Maintaining Committee Control .. Endorsements on Mail .. 236 Content-Based Restrictions ..256-1 Overview .. Effective Date .. Summary of Restrictions .. Legislative History .. Different Rules for Products and Advertisements .. 266-2 Summary of Process for Determining Eligibility of Mailpiece .. 276-3 Six-Step Process .. Step 1: Examine Mailpiece for Products .. Step 2: Determine If Products Meet Statutory Provisions.

7 Step 3: Examine Mailpiece for Advertisements .. Step 4: Determine Prohibited or Restricted Advertisements .. Step 5: Determine If the Mailpiece Meets Content Requirements for a Periodical Publication .. Step 6: Determine Substantial Relatedness of Advertised Products and services .. 42 Appendix A Case Studies: Content-Based Restrictions ..45A-1 Case Study 1: Publication Containing Advertisements .. Facts .. Analysis .. Conclusion .. 46A-2 Case Study 2: Letter Soliciting Membership Renewals with Description of Member Facts .. Analysis .. Conclusion .. 47 ContentsJanuary 2017vA-3 Case Study 3: Mailpiece Containing Sweepstakes Entry Information.

8 Facts .. Analysis .. Conclusion .. 48 Appendix B Questions and Answers: Content-Based Restrictions ..49 Appendix C Customer Support Rulings (CSRs): Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail ..51 Appendix D Application for Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail Prices: PS Forms 3624 and 3623..55 Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail Eligibility: Nonprofit and Other Qualified OrganizationsviPublication 417 This page intentionally left blankJanuary 201711 Introduction1-1 BackgroundReduced prices for usps Marketing Mail postage are available for eligible organizations that the United States postal Service ( usps ) has authorized and whose individual mailings meet the specific eligibility rules that apply to Nonprofit usps Marketing Congress authorized these reduced prices in 1951 and determined the categories of organizations eligible for these prices (see 2-2).

9 Subsequent legislation extended the privileges to other categories and added restrictions on what material may be mailed at the Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail ( Nonprofit ) Publication 417 Publication 417 provides information about eligibility, authorization, and rules for Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail, as 2 explains the categories of organizations eligible to mail at the Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail prices and types of organizations that generally are not 3 explains how to apply for Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail authorization at the Post Office or Post Office(s) where the organization plans to deposit 4 explains how to determine if an individual mailing meets the general requirements for mailing at the Nonprofit 5 explains the cooperative mail rule and what constitutes an ineligible cooperative 6 explains how to apply the specific content-based restrictions to Nonprofit usps Marketing A provides case studies showing how to apply the content-based B contains questions and answers regarding content-based C contains the Customer Support Rulings (CSRS)

10 That apply to Nonprofit usps Marketing D contains information for obtaining the two application forms for authorization to mail at Nonprofit usps Marketing Mail Eligibility: Nonprofit and Other Qualified Organizations2 Publication 4171-3 Mailing StandardsMailing Standards of the United States postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) provides the official mailing standards and prices for all domestic mail DMM is available for customers and employees on postal Explorer at The online version includes easy-to-use interactive menus, clickable links, and a powerful search Support Rulings (CSRs) provide examples of DMM standards and how they are applied to actual mailing situations.