Newsletters, the USPS, and Saving the Chapter $$$

Well, as is standard for the USPS every so often, they are changing things up and, depending on the chapter, in a major way. Adjustments in the barcoding of address labels, changes of administrative paperwork, and assorted miscellany are on the horizon and need to be examined by each of the local groups. Here in MWM, I have forwarded the recent alert sent by AMC's Communications Officer, Robin Crawford, onto MWM's "Labels Wrangler" a.k.a. "Lord of the Labels" -- Russ Nevins -- to digest and determine precisely how the indicated changes might affect the chapter (likely negatively), whether it be timing of newsletter mailing, cost of the mailing, or otherwise.

While one person who received Robin's alert opined that it is much easier to just go the non-barcoded route (and for her small group, that's true), I note an even easier route - at least as far as the chapter would be concerned: opt-in for electronic newsletters.

The greater number of members who opt in to electronic distribution of the newsletter, the greater the benefit.
1) Each chapter receives an 82-cent stipend per member per month which goes, in large part, to publication and mailing of the newsletter. For each member who opts into the electronic version of the newsletter, that's an extra 82 cents per member per month that can be used by the group to support other local activities and programs. In September's mailing, we had 402 electronic subscribers, which left a full 1562 members receiving hardcopy, which equates to $1,280.84 just for that one month. If we take that as an average number per month, if we were to get everyone to subscribe electronically to the newsletter, that would reduce our expenses by about $15k per year! Just think of all the MWM parties and activities, and added RG "extras" (or reduced registration costs) that could be provided for that much money.

2) Anyone getting the newsletter electronically and on our automated alert list finds out about, and has access to, our newsletter the same day that it is sent to the printers (since it is uploaded to National nearly simultaneously). Where the hardcopy of the newsletter can often be delayed either by late submission to the printer (for various possible reasons) or by lengthy processing time by the USPS, receipt of the electronic version is painless and has no delay. It's always nice to have an issue of the newsletter BEFORE the first of the month, especially in those months where activities of interest to you are very early in the month and might be missed due to a late delivery.

3) If you read the newsletter electronically, you will ALWAYS get the full-color version of it, rather than black-and-white.  (Rarely do we print full-color hardcopy of the newsletter.) Any pictures in the newsletter will always look better, crisper, and may even be able to be enlarged to enhance certain details, if desired, when viewed on the computer as opposed to in hardcopy.

4) For those who are concerned with all things “green,” opting into the electronic version of the newsletter greatly reduces the chapter's direct environmental impact, by cutting down the amount of paper (and hence trees) and ink used, and energy burned through in the production and mailing of each month's issue. While there is the additional amount of electricity expended in the amount of time spent online reading the newsletter that might not otherwise be spent, odds are that when both sides are weighed against each other that opting in is the more “environmentally friendly” of the two.

Opting in to electronic subscription of CapM is easy. Log into the AML website. Click on the Members tab atop the screen, and then select Profile Update from the left-side pane. Near the top of the page under ePublications Information, type the e-mail address where you want to receive the newsletter and select BOTH checkboxes immediately underneath it. It's just that easy!