Statement from the American Lung Association on Postal Rate Increases
(July 6, 2010)—
For more than 100 years, the American Lung Association has depended on the U.S. Postal Service as a means to educate the American public about lung health, communicate with volunteers and request donations. Today, mail service remains a crucial pillar of the organization's overall fundraising platform. In fact, the Lung Association remains the third largest nonprofit mailer in the nation, mailing over 48 million pieces of mail every year to people in all 50 U.S. States.
The postal rate increases proposed today on nonprofit mail will have a severe impact on the Lung Association's ability to fulfill its charitable mission at a time we are already being called on to do more with less due to state and local government cutbacks. Higher postal rates for nonprofits will lead to less revenue, and less revenue will lead to cuts in programs and services to people in need. Postal rate increases will also force the Lung Association to reduce mail volume, which will reinforce the Postal Service's downward spiral.
The Lung Association and all nonprofit organizations are heavily dependent on a fiscally sound U.S. Postal Service. The Lung Association is very concerned that steep rate hikes like the one proposed today will continue unless a long term solution can be found.
Jim Gooden, Chairman of the American Lung Association, recently testified in Washington, D.C. before Senate and House committees regarding postal rate increases.
