Consumer Reports

Some iconic publications by charities like Consumer Reports and Guideposts may decide to publish less frequently in print because of unexpectedly large postage increases due to take effect next month. Under the new rates, which will take effect April 26 if approved by the Postal Rate Commission, Guideposts will cost nearly 10 percent more to mail while postage on Consumer Reports and its three spin-off publications will increase by 8.5 percent to more than 16 percent.

The Postal Regulatory Commission rejected a rate increase proposal that had angered many nonprofits that publish printed magazines like Consumer Reports and Guideposts. The nonprofits complained of big spikes in the cost of mailing those publications the new postage rates had taken effect next month as planned. The commission remanded the proposal back to the USPS and ordered changes, saying “the Postal Service has not provided sufficient information for the Commission to determine whether the planned Package Services price adjustment is accurate and complies with applicable law.”

Reviewing the winners across all channels for the 2014 DMAW MAXI Awards, the shared themes were engagement, extraordinary storytelling and relationship building. The stats and snapshot images of the winning Direct Mail, Digital Media, Multichannel and Telemarketing campaigns provided high-level intel of the strategies and tactics.

At the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Fundraising Day in New York last Friday, three fundraising professionals, along with moderator Amy Tripi, president of Tripi Consulting, shared 30 ideas to enhance fundraising direct-response creative. Here are ideas 11-2.

Consumer Reports has been helping individuals make purchasing decisions in the United States since 1936. But we don’t have the same kinds of information sources to guide our giving decisions — whether they are personal donations or something much larger from a business or institution. We have passionate requests, vibrant stories, and an increasing number of ways to give money and volunteer time, but few comprehensive sources of hard data on the issues, the solutions and the organizations working to meet the tough challenges of our time. 

The best private health care plans in the United States are run by nonprofit organizations, according to the latest survey published in the November issue of Consumer Reports.

Without shareholder concerns and other investor-related issues, nonprofit health care companies can better focus on their mission to provide care itself, said Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center. "Investors have an expectation of getting a return and resources have to be devoted to that, and that creates a different culture," Santa said.

The section of a U.S. Postal Service reform bill in Congress that would have eliminated discounted nonprofit postal rates during a 12-year period has been eliminated from the legislation.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the leading sponsor of the postal reform bill, H.R. 2309, informed the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers that Section 403 of the bill will be deleted when it goes to the House floor for a vote later this summer.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) presented its 2011 International ECHO Awards at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center during the DMA2011 Conference & Exhibition, which concludes Oct. 6.

Nonprofit winners include Ministry of Health, Heart of the City/Auckland Council, Doctors Without Borders, SickKids Foundation / Winning Charities International, Outreach International, World Jewish Congress Foundation, World Vision U.S. and The Salvation Army in Canada.

The Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association passed along the full list of winners and runners-up for its Package of the Year awards. Bringing home the highest honor, Package of the Year, was Fountain House for its Flying Cat Pads and Cards campaign.

We caught up with some of the speakers at the DMA Nonprofit Federation 2009 New York Conference last week, and they were kind enough to share some of their best tip on camera.