Welcome & USPS Postmark News

Welcome to The Chart Work Edit! We’re excited to launch this blog as a way to share practical fundraising advice, nonprofit news, useful resources, and ideas worth considering. At Chart Work Consulting, we spend our days helping nonprofits navigate challenges, strengthen their fundraising, and plan for what’s next. Along the way, we come across information and insights we think are worth sharing.

Our goal is simple: to cut through the noise, make complicated topics easier to understand, and give you useful information you can put to work. Please forward to anyone who might find this useful. We're glad you're here!

IMPORTANT USPS UPDATE

As year-end fundraising approaches, there’s an important USPS update nonprofits should be aware of—especially if your donors mail checks in the final days of December.

We know some of you rely exclusively on digital fundraising, but there are donors out there who still prefer to give the old fashioned way. You don't want to exclude them from the opportunity to support your mission!

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

USPS has clarified that mailed pieces may receive a postmark on a different day than the piece is mailed. The postmark could potentially be a day or more later.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

The postmark date is important for determining the tax year of a charitable contribution for some donors. This communication from the USPS means a donor who drops a check in the mail on December 31 should not assume it will receive a December 31 postmark.

WHAT SHOULD NONPROFITS DO?

As you plan your year-end donor communications:

• Encourage donors to mail checks early. Recommend mailing year-end gifts a week before December 31 rather than waiting until the last day of the year.

• Share options for time-sensitive checks. Donors can take an envelope inside a Post Office and request a manual postmark showing the date it was accepted. Certified Mail and other USPS services can also provide evidence of mailing.

• Encourage online giving for last-minute gifts. Make your online giving option easy to find in your year-end communications and on your website.

• Review deadlines for other types of gifts. Stock gifts, IRA qualified charitable distributions, wire transfers, and other transactions can take several business days to complete. Consider establishing and communicating recommended deadlines for your organization.

ANOTHER YEAR-END TO-DO

Another thing you can do ahead of the year-end rush for donations is take a few minutes to review the giving instructions and donation functionality on your website. Make sure there is a phone number clearly listed in case a donor has trouble with the online form or has a time sensitive question. It is also a good practice to have your donation mailing address on the online giving form. You never know who might want to send you

mail!

If you would like to dig deeper into the inner workings of the Postal Service, checkout the USPS guidance →

We hope this helps as you prepare for the biggest giving season of the year.

PS, Thanks to the good folks at Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona for sharing this hot tip!