Nonprofits Suffer as Postal Reform Dies in Committee
The June 20 defeat of a postal reform bill in the House Committee on Government Reform will result in fewer donations in cancer research, environmental protection and social services, the Nonprofit Federation of the Direct Marketing Association asserted last week.The federation had especially harsh criticism for United Parcel Service, charging that it used its lobbying muscle to help kill the bill.
"It is irresponsible for UPS to put its narrow corporate interests ahead of people who benefit from medical research and those who need medical treatment," said Kelly Browning, executive vice president at the American Institute for Cancer Research, a member of the Nonprofit Federation. "Every penny going to unnecessarily high postage rates is one more penny we cannot spend on research."
Lee Cassidy, the federation's executive director, said that "in these still-tough economic times, raising every extra penny costs a lot more. Narrow corporate interests should not -- and cannot -- be allowed to stand in the way of our good work. Congress must act on postal reform legislation and act now."
With more than 500 members, the Nonprofit Federation represents nonprofits that use direct mail, telephone and the Internet to communicate with donors, members and the public.
