Direct mail: strengthening your copy.

To get the best results in nonprofit fundraising, it's important to have a strong message. And the most important way to convey that to potential donors is with strong copy.

According to Marie Robinson, copy chief at Creative Direct Response, Crofton, Md., to get the best results with your copy, repetition is your friend. Whatever your main focus, make sure your copy states it loud and clear, several times throughout the letter. Use the Johnson Box (header), the sidebar, and absolutely use the P.S. to state your message.

The P.S. is what most readers read first, according to Robinson. A good P.S. will sum up the focus in one or two short sentences. A really good P.S. will also serve as a teaser to encourage the donor to read the entire letter.

Conversely, the least read part of a letter is the top of the back page.

It's best to craft--yes, craft--your fundraising letter with these key elements in mind.

Because so much giving is based on personal connections--What if I couldn't feed my child? What if I couldn't afford a home? What if all of the trees are cut down?--using a case history makes the reason for giving come alive. People like information that feels solid. For example, tell them how many nails you can buy to build a house with their $5, Robinson suggested.

And the most important element to strong fundraising copy is this: ask for money. It sounds simple, doesn't it? But asking for money is a difficult thing for most of us, so we hold back, thinking that asking will make the donor uncomfortable. That's not the case.

The number one reason why people don't give to charity is because they weren't asked. Make it easy for them--tell the donor exactly what you need, exactly why you need it, and exactly what they get out of giving it to you.