It’s Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. We’re in the final 30 hours of the year, and you’re probably asking the same thing your donors are asking: Is it too late to make a difference?
No. But it is too late to assume a last-minute mailbox drop will produce a same-day postmark.
The USPS Postmark Clarification That Became Effective Last Week
USPS added a new section to the Domestic Mail Manual: “Postmarks and Postal Possession” (DMM 608.11). It’s a clarification, not a process change, according to the Federal Register.
Here’s the key point: The postmark date does not inherently match the date USPS first accepted the mailpiece. USPS explains that postmarks are generally applied by automation at processing facilities, not at your local branch.
USPS also notes that this timing gap has become and will continue to become more common as transportation and service standards change.
What This Means for Year-End Donations
For check gifts mailed in late December, donors often rely on the postmark as their “proof” of mailing date. But if a piece isn’t processed until January, the postmark could show January — even if the donor swears they mailed it in December.
Separately, IRS guidance still says: a check mailed to a charity is considered delivered on the date it’s mailed. The practical issue is documenting that date in a way that holds up.
Here is what to do if you are still running campaigns through the very last second of 2025:
Option A: Make online giving the default
If donors want clean timing with zero drama, direct them to give online by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31.
Option B: If they must mail a check, send them to the counter
USPS explicitly advises customers who want the postmark date to align with acceptance to request a manual (local) postmark at a retail counter.
At the counter, donors can ask for:
- Manual (hand) postmark (same-day acceptance mark)
- PVI label/receipt (dated retail acceptance evidence)
- Certificate of Mailing / Certified / Registered Mail for additional proof
What not to recommend in the final hours: blue collection boxes, lobby drops, or “just dropping it off” without counter acceptance.
Here is some ready-to-copy-and-paste language for your website, email footer, social, or anywhere your year-end campaign is running (and keep it handy for next year’s end of year direct mail campaign):
Mailing a year-end check? USPS now clarifies that many postmarks reflect the date of first automated processing, which may be later than the drop-off date. If you’re mailing close to Dec. 31, please bring your envelope to a post office counter and request a hand-stamped postmark or a dated PVI receipt.
Looking Ahead to The New Year
Three USPS changes/opportunities worth having on your planning list:
- USPS Marketing Mail Nonprofit parcels: required dimensions revised to not exceed 22″ x 18″ x 15″.
- Destination entry discounts: USPS is eliminating NDC/DNDC entry discounts for USPS Marketing Mail, Periodicals, and Bound Printed Matter.
- Promotions: USPS continues offering postage discounts tied to treatments/tech, including the 2025–2026 Catalog Insights Promotion (10% discount; Oct. 1, 2025–June 30, 2026).
