(October 7, 2014) What does the Postal Service have in common with the nation’s nonprofits? More than you might think, according to an essay in one of the nonprofit sector’s top trade publications.

The Nonprofit Quarterly (NPQ) article notes USPS is neither a nonprofit nor a for profit institution because of its status as an independent federal agency.

Many of the Postal Service’s financial challenges stem from issues that private-sector competitors such as UPS and FedEx don’t encounter, the article points out.

However, USPS is uniquely positioned to serve customers who can’t afford the competition, and it delivers to every address in the nation.

“At a time when nonprofits are taking to the front lines in the fight for net neutrality, nonprofits should also pay attention to what is in the cards for the U.S. Postal Service,” author Rick Cohen writes.

Nonprofits might want to put the future condition of the USPS on the sector’s agenda, seeing the Postal Service as not quite a nonprofit, but an independent agency that is a kindred spirit, Cohen says.

via USPS News Link – Oct. 8, 2014.