Are you planning to mail a donation to the Princeton Area Community Foundation or another favorite charity this year? We want to alert you to new postmark rules that go into effect this week and could affect your year-end giving.
Beginning Wednesday, Dec. 24, the U.S. Postal Service says the postmark date on mail may not represent the day the mail was received by the post office, but instead it will reflect the date the mail was processed by an automated sorting machine.
What do these new postmark rules mean for your year-end donation?
Under IRS rules, mail must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2025, to be counted as a donation in 2025. Under the new postmark rules, if you mail a check on Dec. 31, but it does not get processed by a sorting machine that day, it will have a January 2026 postmark.
To ensure that your mailed donation reflects the date it was received by the post office:
- Go to the post office counter and ask for a hand-stamped postmark.
- Pay for a postage label at the post office counter.
- Mail your donation using certified or registered mail.
If you have any questions about your donation, please reach out to our team at 609-219-1800.
