Here goes everything.

You know Mother Jones likes to go BIG.   [Mother Jones + The Center for Investigative Reporting]( MoJo Reader, This is a huge, defining moment for Mother Jones, and that makes this a supremely important email. A 60-second summary. Democracy is in crisis mode and things like fundamental human rights, war and peace, and an unencumbered free press are on the line this November. Journalism is in crisis mode too, with newsrooms shriveling or shuttering, resulting in fewer independent reporters on the beat when they’re so needed. And perhaps worst of all, it’s been this way for a while now, so a lot of people—to be honest, each of us at times—grow tired of thinking about it. So how about doing something different and big? Mother Jones did. We just merged with the Center for Investigative Reporting, bringing the radio show Reveal, the documentary film team CIR Studios, and Mother Jones together as one newsroom, one investigative journalism nonprofit. Joining forces makes us more impactful, a bit more resilient, and more than a bit more hopeful than normal. It helps get more quality journalism to more people, including those who often get excluded or turned away. It won’t be easy sustaining a bigger, bolder newsroom for the long haul, but it’s the best way forward in the current hellscape, oops, landscape. And this is the first time we’re asking you to [support the new organization we’re becoming](. It’s an exciting time around here, and something else different from the jump: We’re hoping our real sense of optimism right now will inspire more people to [pitch in]( than if we took another lap around the doom loop. Hope you got this far in a bit under 60 seconds! Also hope you’ll [pitch in and support Mother Jones]( as we kick off this exciting, but also kind of scary, new chapter. If you can’t afford to contribute, please keep reading—we have something special for everyone at the end. The brass tacks: We need to raise $500,000 in [online donations]( by June 22, and hitting that number is vitally important. It’s a higher number than normal, because normal isn’t enough right now. And with the presidential campaign at a fever pitch this fall, we can’t count on a lot of fundraising at that time. You told us so, and we’ll do our best to honor that. So we have to get started in a major way now. We don’t usually name our fundraising campaigns, but we’re calling this one the First $500,000 because it needs to look and feel different. And this is literally a first: We are a new, more ambitious, and impactful organization thanks to now having [Reveal](, [CIR Studios](, and Mother Jones under one big [community-supported]( tent. It’s an awesome starting point. If you asked us to sketch out a modern news operation that has a chance of sustainability, it would probably look a lot like this combo, which checks so many of the unglamorous but super-important boxes: 1) solid journalism; 2) an engaged and passionate audience; 3) journalists calling the shots instead of profit-driven corporations or power-driven billionaires; 4) a hybrid, well-balanced business model so the inevitable hits are less likely to knock us out completely; 5) big reach on multiple platforms, to become less algorithm-dependent and more able to reach unique audiences. But it’s also a kind of terrifying road ahead—overnight, going from a team of 87 to 116, from an already sweat-inducing budget of $19 million per year to $26 million. The honest-to-goodness truth is that we don’t yet know whether we can sustain a bigger, bolder newsroom for the long haul when the forces in media are pulling so hard toward contraction and closure. So there’s a lot riding on this First $500,000 fundraising push for [the donations we need]( to pull this off. And there’s more in “[Less Dreading, More Doing](,” where we lay it all out for you—why we merged, how it makes us stronger, and the big potential ahead. We have so many great new things to share with you starting today, but spoiler: Wiggle room in our budget is not among them. We can’t afford missing these goals. We need this to be a big one. We need to break through to more people who care about this work but have never [donated]( before. It would be utterly devastating if this falls flat. As we hit send on this email, we have no idea how it might go. But we know this: If we can get you half as excited as we are, we’ll be okay. A [First $500,000 donation of $500, $50, or $5]( would mean a lot right now, both financially and psychologically, as we take a pretty bold and kind of scary step forward. If you can right now, please [pitch in to this very first email]( about the new organization we’re becoming, so we can see a promising early sign that you’re with us. And if you’d like to learn more about our plans at this huge, defining moment, [read more here](, and [pitch in even just a few bucks if you can](. We also hope you’ll share your [feedback, questions, or ideas]( as we start talking about what’s ahead. Because none of this works without you—a community of people who share a common belief in the power of great journalism to help bring about change. We can’t wait to build a stronger, bolder newsroom with you all. Thanks for reading and for making Mother Jones what it is. Onward, Monika BauerleinCEO Brian HiattOnline Membership Director [Donate]( P.S. Can’t afford to donate? We appreciate you just the same. We have plenty of [exciting things worth knowing]( for everyone—and even a free Strengthen Journalism sticker so you can help us spread the word and make the most of this moment. [Strengthen Journalism](   [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755