Asking for money is the necessary evil of every political campaign. The trick is to do it concisely, politely, and—most importantly—effectively. So before you write an email to your supporters to ask for funds, consider the following guidelines.

1. Be clear. One email should convey one message. In a fundraising email, the message is “give me money because X.” Of course, the email does not—and should not—be as crude as that, but don’t let rhetorical decoration obscure your point. If, when the email is done, you cannot condense its point to one sentence, you are trying to say too much, no matter how prettily you are doing it.

Very clearly ask for a donation. Ask then ask then, possibly, ask again as the email progresses. Do not be shy about listing an amount, but think carefully first about who is receiving the email. Deep-pocketed donors can be tapped for big donations; everyone who signed up to receive your emails cannot.

2. Be concise. Make sentences direct, make paragraphs short, and make the body of your email as brief as possible. Your email is competing with an untold number of distractions, so it needs to be able to be read quickly and understood easily. But remember that short does not mean sparse, stilted, or half-finished. Channel Ernest Hemingway or even the authors of the Constitution. Make every word count.

3. Be compelling. There are two simple options: use emotion or a sense of urgency. Emotional emails tell a story and oftentimes include a video link; alternatively, they can encourage supporters to share their stories (hello, Obama 2008). These emails fall flat, though, if there is nothing truly moving or remarkable about the story you are sharing. Your campaign is the center of your life, but sadly, that’s not sufficiently interesting to your neighbor, your mailwoman, or your local dog catcher. So be wary of using this method and, above all, don’t fake it. Readers can tell, and you will be stung. Badly.

You can also use your fundraising appeal to highlight tasks your campaign must accomplish. Such tasks often include boosting numbers before an FEC filing deadline, readying your GOTV efforts, or getting the money for last-minute ads. Giving deadlines and, preferably, quantifying the effect of a contribution (e.g. $50 will equip one Election Day volunteer) will give supporters more reason to give you some of their hard-earned cash.

Finally, remember that you must be professional to be compelling. Proofread your email carefully for distractions: misspellings, improper grammar, and awkward sentence structures. It’s always okay to break rules for style or emphasis, but it’s always apparent when you know the rules and break them deliberately, and when you’re just winging it.

4. Most importantly, be honest. Supporters are not ATMs. Supporters cannot be tricked into giving money. So “speak” to your supporters candidly, get them excited and invested in your campaign, and you will be well-rewarded.