Nonprofits, Charities and the Cooperative Mail Rule (CMR)

The Cooperative Mail Rule (CMR) allows one or more authorized nonprofit organizations to share the cost, risk, or benefit of a mailing and mail at Nonprofit Standard Mail® rates. Cooperative mailings are entered at Nonprofit Standard Mail rates only if all cooperating nonprofits are authorized to mail at that rate. The CMR does not allow nonprofits to share the cost, risk or benefit of a mailing with for-profit organizations and mail at the Nonprofit Standard Mail rate unless the mailing is a solicitation for monetary donations and only when the nonprofit is provided with the list of donors and contact information (or waives the provision of that information).

Eligibility to use nonprofit rates is based both on the eligibility of the organization and the content of the mailpiece as established by federal statutes. Learn more about nonprofit mailings.

Authorized nonprofit organizations are eligible for additional savings.

Nonprofit organizations and businesses use Standard Mail® the same way. The only difference is that authorized nonprofit organizations are eligible for additional savings on Standard Mail. Eligibility to use nonprofit rates is based both on the eligibility of the organization and the content of the mailpiece as established by federal statues. Authorized Nonprofit organizations can use Standard Mail or Enhanced Carrier Route mail.

Eligible Organizations:
Simply being an IRS-approved nonprofit organization does not qualify an organization for these rates. Typically, there are 10 categories of organizations that may be eligible. Organizations eligible for nonprofit rates include:

• Agricultural
• Educational
• Fraternal
• Labor
• Philanthropic
• Religious
• Scientific
• Veterans
• Voter Registration Officials
• National and State Political Parties