Mail Merge for new Post Office Bulk Mailing Regs Requiring “or Current Resident”
Prior to Version 5.8
As of Volunteer Reporter Version 5.8 you can automatically include “or Current Resident” on mailing labels. For earlier versions, read on.
The Post Office put into affect a rule 11/23/2008 on bulk mailing, called the Move Update standard, first reported to us on 12/31/2008. Addresses utilizing any of the three alternative addressing formats in DMM 602.3.0 (for example, “John Doe or Current Resident,” “Occupant,” “Postal Customer” etc.) will not be subject to the Move Update standard.
On the first line after the name [or second line] add “or Current Resident” into addresses to avoid returned mail and charges.
For label, letter and envelope mailings the only way to add the new line “or Current Resident” with the current version of the Reporter is to do a Word merge. Use an Excel spreadsheet for the data source, e.g., Volunteers Spreadsheet, and add a column for “or Current Resident.” Populate every field in the column for each used row with “or Current Resident”.
Save and use this spreadsheet as your data source with a Word merge.
When you do the mail merge, insert this new field where you want it among the address fields, most probably in the line following the recipient’s name for labels or as an addendum to the first line for printed newsletters.