Free Mailing Machine Helps Cancer Foundation

The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) is dedicated to supporting people living with cancer through its education, advocacy, public health and research programmes.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) is dedicated to supporting people living with cancer through its education, advocacy, public health and research programmes.

In reaching out to the public, legislators, academia and other organisations, mail plays an important role in the foundation's fundraising and educational initiatives.

As the LAF's outreach has increased, so have its mailings.

The foundation was in need of a new mailing system that could better handle the increasing volume of mail, preferably with a machine that would provide more options but less complexity than its old system.

The team at Neopost, a worldwide provider of mailing, addressing, document handling and mail management systems, donated its IJ high-volume digital mailing system.

LAF director of development, Rachel Armbruster, said: "Neopost's valuable, in-kind donation allows our staff to focus on the LAF's mission of helping people with cancer live strong.

We are very grateful for the critical support that Neopost has provided." As associate director of human resources and administration, Donna Benson-Chan oversees all operations and administration for the LAF, which includes making sure that all equipment, including phones, copiers, printers and mailing systems, are running as efficiently as possible.

Neopost's IJ mailing machine was designed specifically to manage the flow of everyday mail, including high-volume mailings like those sent out by the LAF.

The system can process up to a claimed 10,800 pieces of mail per hour, as well as handle envelopes of various size and thickness.

Additionally, it brings the simplicity of operation that the LAF was looking for from its new mailing system, said Neopost.

Benson-Chan commented: "The Neopost machine is so simple to use, yet it provides us with important options, including the account coding that we need.

Account coding allows us to identify the costs that are specific to each department so that all costs are allocated appropriately, saving the LAF a lot of time and money.

And it does this very easily.

In fact, after just one brief training session we were up and running." Neopost's digital mailing machine supports the functions of the entire LAF organisation, including processing packages for its largest fundraising operation, the Peloton Project.

In 2004, members of the Peloton Project collected more than US$5.5 million in donations to help the LAF keep cancer survivors living strong.

"In just a little over a year, our staff has grown from 13 members to 48, and our events have increased on a similar scale.

That means that more and more mail and packages are being sent out.

With our Peloton Project, membership has greatly increased and mail is a primary vehicle we use to communicate with those members.

Our mailing system has accommodated our growth, and I'm certain it will be able to meet our mailing needs as we continue to expand over the next few years," explained Benson-Chan.

Another large LAF event is the annual Ride for the Roses.

Benson recalled: "We had so many packages to get out for the Ride for the Roses we had to spread the mailing across four days with about 400 packages sent each day.

With the Neopost machine here, we were extremely efficient in getting those packages priced and out the door.

It did a great job." Kim Barnett is responsible for the day-to-day mailroom functions at the LAF and works regularly with the IJ mailing machine.

According to Barnett: "I had no problem getting up to speed with the new Neopost system.

In fact, I learned to use the machine in no time at all.

My Neopost representative is also always available if I have questions.

We've been working on an annual giving campaign for the majority of time that I've been here, which means that a lot of letters are going out asking for donations and then thanking people for their donations.

The IJ system has saved us a great deal of time processing those letters.

We do not have to seal them - the machine does that for us." The mailroom at the LAF is a hub of activity, often with three or four members of the volunteer work staff occupying the area, meeting and performing various activities, whilst the machine is running.

For that reason, the LAF staffers value the machine's quiet nature.

Donna Benson-Chan said: "It's so quiet, you wouldn't know that it's a mailing machine.

With the machine running, our volunteers are able to converse with each other and do their work, without being disturbed by unwanted noise.

Kim can actually run the machine and talk to her staff, so everybody is happy." Additionally, both Barnett and Benson-Chan are extremely pleased with the customer service that Neopost provides, particularly impressive given that, like the equipment itself, the service is brought to the LAF at no charge." Benson-Chan commented: "The customer service has been superb.

I think it must be a prerequisite of Neopost to hire the friendliest people.

Our rep is very forthcoming, always 'whatever can we do for you, just let us know'.

And if we need anything, he's always available." With the IJ digital mailing machine in place, the LAF's mail centre is operating more efficiently and helping to increase its reach to the millions of people living with cancer today, said Neopost.

Back to top