Maybe you're feeling this way too?

It's real. And we're not immune from it either. MoJo Reader, "Is there honestly ANY chance of overcoming corruption at this point?" That's what a reader from Kalamazoo, Michigan, asked in response to our crowdfunding campaign to hire and build a team focused on systemic corruption. And now that we're in the homestretch of asking the MoJo community to [pitch in and help ramp up our Corruption Project](, I thought I'd tackle that feeling head-on. It's real for us too. Confronting corruption and charting a new course will not be easy. It will not come quickly. And no amount of fact-finding, scandal-uncovering journalism is going to stop corruption on its own. At times like this—when a challenge can feel admittedly overwhelming—I find it helpful to start by acknowledging that. We can’t hold ourselves to a standard where we snap our fingers, Thanos-like, to change the world. But we can take a step back, look at the big picture, break things down into manageable parts, and put our shoulder to the wheel.  So if you're feeling like another reader, from Massachusetts, who asked "How can one individual (like me) do anything meaningful or concrete to fight corruption?" this message is for you. The first thing to know is that you're not alone. When I need a morale boost, I can always count on the MoJo community. The fact is, so far, nearly 9,000 other Mother Jones readers have pitched in to help us go big on our Corruption Project. Together, they've contributed about $390,000 toward our $500,000 goal. That's amazing, and I hope you'll join with them and [help us close the gap with a tax-deductible donation before our June 30 deadline](. We're banking on the letters we send via snail mail (those take a while to come back) to help us get there, but it's going to be a nail-biter—and it will happen one person and one decision at a time, just like the broader effort to roll back corruption and revitalize democracy. When I talk about the "MoJo community," it isn't just about the money that pays for our journalism. We asked readers what you'd like us to dig into, and if there are ways corruption affects your daily lives. From the hundreds of responses (thanks!), there were some main themes that help us break down a huge, systemic challenge into manageable pieces: Self-dealing at the city and state level; restricting access to the ballot box; failing to address climate change; corporate power and influence; dark money; corruption beyond the White House; corrupt actions and officials on both sides of the aisle; intertwined relationships between regulatory agencies and the industries they oversee—these are the themes you sounded, and really digging into where they lead, and how they overlap, are the kinds of investigations that Mother Jones exists to do.  And there are two key pillars of this project (you can read the full plan [here]() that we think can help it land a big impact: 1) Adding reporting firepower and explicitly letting the team step away from the daily headlines to sink their teeth into these stories for a year, and 2) Publishing our investigations as part of a major series in the summer of 2020—a special issue of our magazine, a dedicated online portal, podcast and video series, and more. That alone will not end corruption. But it's the most important thing we think Mother Jones can do right now to push back against the alarming trends we're reporting on every day. And I hope you'll decide to join with us and [help us get this project over the finish line by pitching in today]( so we can give it everything we’ve got. One investigation, one story, one resolute step in front of the other at a time. That's how change happens. Thanks for reading, and for everything you do to make Mother Jones what it is. Whether or not you can pitch in, it's good to know you're with us. Monika Bauerlein, CEO Mother Jones [DONATE]( P.S. If you've donated in the last several hours, thanks! And apologies for sending you this reminder. 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](E2%80%8B). 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 9631, Big Sandy, TX 75755