FYI: A group of Democratic legislators are urging the postal service not to open its discounted mailing rates to for-profit companies conducting direct mail campaigns on behalf of nonprofits. The rule change is intended to help small not-for-profit groups that don’t have the resources to conduct their own direct mail solicitations. But the congressional Democrats, joined by some nonprofit sector watchers who have lobbied against the rule change for months, warn that it will open the door to fraud such as that seen in telemarketing, where for-profit companies keep the lion’s share of money they raise on behalf of nonprofits. The rule change takes effect on Thursday. [11/11/03]