A 5-point plan: a few rules for writing fundraising letters.

So, you think you can write a fundraising letter?

Sure, you can ... if you consider some solid rules of force-communication, that exotic blend of creativity and psychology. Here are five points you might not be considering when you really need to make donors respond.

You'll see the logic behind them as you analyze these points. And, you'll want to keep them handy for communications other than fundraising letters.

POINT ONE This is an easy one, founded in the logic of readership ease. And readership case is a primary yes/no factor in fundraising letters: Keep your first sentence short.

Which of these is more likely to have a prospective donor reading on?

A. Amaki died yesterday, a week before his third birthday.

B. Violence and hunger in Darfur are far beyond the critical level, with thousands of children dying from neglect, malnutrition, and diseases modern medicine would have cured.

The first sentence is the teller. A message is going to be easy reading or hard slogging. Which would you rather read?

POINT TWO This point recognizes and defeats the negative reality of mailed fundraising appeals in the latter half of the first decade of the 21st century: Our appeal isn't alone. Competitors are out there. So the second point not only is germane, it's mandatory: Fire your biggest gun first.

That might be reworded: "Subtlety doesn't work." Holding back inevitably results in a prospective donor also holding back.

POINT THREE This point is the easiest of all, because it's mechanical rather than creative: No paragraphs longer than seven lines. That's lines, not sentences.

That could seem to be an arbitrary number, but it's a sound maximum, and observing it costs nothing in the totality of communication.

We see letters whose writers think a paragraph isn't complete unless the total position is explained within it. So it runs on, sentence after sentence. That's sensible from an accountant's point of view. From a communicator's point of view, it represents interest.

Test the concept by printing the same letter, word-for-word, with long paragraphs and shorter paragraphs, and having outsiders be the judge.

(Caution: Don't make all paragraphs seven lines. Some can be a single line. Some can be a single word.)

POINT FOUR This point is a minor exercise in basic psychology: In a letter longer than one page, don't end a paragraph at the bottom of any page except the last one.

Why? Readers demand completeness. Don't give them completeness until you've done just that.

Neatness not only doesn't count, it can be damaging. Try to have a provocative phrase at the bottom of the first page, one that forces the reader to continue. Examples: "Can you believe that" ... "I have to confess," ... "If you were to" ...

Suggestion: Don't destroy the flow with marginal suggestions such as "Over, please."

POINT FIVE This is an evolutionary 21st century point: Retire "Dear Friend."

For more than 60 years, the standard opening for a letter to someone who doesn't know you has been "Dear Friend." That's long enough.

"Dear Friend" scores close to zero in a test against a greeting that has the seeds of genuine one-to-one. As a single example, compare it with "Good morning." Good morning has another advantage, if you can personalize the greeting. "Good morning, Mr. Jones" implies genuine personalization far beyond "Dear Mr. Jones;" and depending on the conviviality of the message, "Good morning, Fred" combines friendliness with a noninvasive benefit that "Dear Fred" doesn't match.

If your results are borderline and your prospect "universe" is big enough, experiment with greetings. "Hello," "Dear Colleague," and "I'm writing in haste, Fred" are a few candidates. A caution: Don't get cute or tricky. We're transmitting a cry for help in a serious situation.

DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

What matters when using any medium to recruit, resuscitate, or remind donors is a single word: response. Response determines not only growth but existence. These little suggestions all are response-geared. Better yet, they don't require hyper-professional laying on of hands.

An ancient rule of psychology is that it's easier to apply the traditional than it is to apply the logical. Don't succumb to "We've always done it this way" at the expense of that magical word--response.

Herschel Gordon Lewis is the principal of Lewis Enterprises, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. His recently published 30th book is "Not Appeals or Burnt Offerings. "Among his other books are "Open Me Now"; "Asinine Advertising"," "How to Write Powerful Fund Raising Letters." His Web site is www.herschellgordonlewis.com