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Home > Support Ministries > Stewardship > Financial Manual

IV. Government Regulations and Procedures

A. Bulk Mail Permit | B. Tax Exempt Status 501(C)(3) | C. “When Faith and Politics Clash” - Article on Tax - Exempt Status | D. Tax ID / Employee Identification Number | E. Incorporating Your Church

INDEX

A. Bulk Mailing Permits


INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Post Office offers non-profit entities the ability to do mass mailings (5OO or more pieces) at greatly reduced cost per item.

PRESENTATION
The process of obtaining a non-profit bulk mailing permit can be a fairly lengthy process (as much as two months). Therefore, plan ahead! Before you can apply for your non-profit bulk mailing permit, you must first be included under the Covenant's group exemption for 501(c)(3) status (see the “501(c)(3) Status for Covenant Congregations” section of this manual for details). Again, you must plan ahead! Not every post office has the application form for the non-profit bulk mailing permit. The form is attached for your convenience.

There are three fees you will pay to process the permit:

  1. Application Fee. This is a one-time charge (approximately $125).
  2. Imprint Fee. This is also a one-time charge (approximately $125).
  3. Maintenance Fee. This is an annual fee charged (approximately $125).
You must do at least one mailing per year to maintain the imprint status. This allows you to print the permit information on each mailing piece and avoid the need to affix stamps.

You should plan to do at least 1000 pieces of bulk mail per year to justify the additional fees and costs. Some smaller promotional mailings may work better with a stamp, or meter postage

You should be aware of a number of rules and regulations concerning bulk mailings:
  1. Increased scrutiny by postal employees so you must do everything correctly.
  2. Slower (generally) delivery than normal first class mailing, and pieces can hit recipients over a ten-day to two-week period making lead time for special events even more critical.
  3. Items should be in zip code (full nine digits) order if possible.
For more information, please contact the Director of Technical Services at 773-784-3000.


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