1.)Ask for money for special projects or other hot items, not for general support - and set a deadline. It's generally easier to raise money for something specific with a deadline than for institutional support. "Your gift of $25, $50, $100 - whatever you can afford - will help us get these families through the holiday season." If the gift is tax deductible, say so.
2.) Ask as many people as you can (without spamming). The more people you ask, the more gifts you'll get. If you don't have a big list, see if other organizations will send your message out to their members for you. (It's usually not OK for another organization to give you its email list, because the people on it didn't give you permission to email them. In every email, use a "tell-a-friend" feature to make it easy for people to pass along the fundraising appeal.
3.) Make the "Ask" the main message in your email. While you're probably sending a regular monthly e-newsletter and/or activist alerts to the people on your list, when you want money, don't bury the Ask in a longer message with other items - it won't get enough attention.
4.) Make sure recipients know (and like) the sender of your e-mail. In the "From" line, use a celebrity or your President or Chair if that makes sense, or just use the name of your organization.
5.) In the "Subject" line, make sure it's clear why you're writing - and don't be deceptive.
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