An Over-Looked USPS Program That Can Save Nonprofits Money in 2026

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If your nonprofit sends fundraising letters, newsletters, advocacy mail, or member updates, there’s a USPS program you should know about: the USPS Mail Growth Incentive. Many organizations miss it simply because they don’t know it exists — and that’s a shame, because it can put real dollars back into your budget.

What is the Mail Growth Incentive?
The USPS created this program to encourage organizations to send more mail. If your nonprofit increases its mail volume in 2026 compared to what you mailed in 2025, the USPS rewards you with a 30% postal credit. Those credits can then be used to reduce the cost of future mailings. In short: mail more than last year, and you get money back from the Postal Service.

Why this matters for nonprofits
Postage is often one of the largest line items in a nonprofit’s budget. The Mail Growth Incentive helps offset those costs, making it easier to:

  • Expand fundraising efforts

  • Communicate more often with supporters

  • Test new campaigns or outreach strategies

  • Stretch limited dollars further

For organizations relying on direct mail, this can translate into thousands of dollars in savings.

The best part: it’s almost effortless
Once your organization registers for the program, there’s very little else to do. You don’t need to file monthly reports, submit special paperwork, or change how you mail. The USPS automatically tracks your mail volume. When you exceed your previous year’s total, postal credits are automatically applied to your account.

Who should sign up?
Any nonprofit that sends USPS Marketing Mail, Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail, or First-Class Mail — even if your volume fluctuates — should strongly consider registering. There’s no downside. If your volume doesn’t increase, nothing happens. If it does, you save money.

Registration begins in March and is retroactive to January.

Bottom line
The USPS Mail Growth Incentive is one of those rare opportunities where a nonprofit can save money simply by doing what it already does: communicating with supporters. Registration takes a short amount of time, and the potential return can be substantial.

If your organization plans to send mail in 2026, this is a program worth taking advantage of.