LAST CHANCE seems a bit dramatic...

As you decide on your final charitable contributions of the year, MoJo Reader, I know you give a damn about making the world better—especially at a crazy time like this—because you're part of the MoJo community. So I'm guessing your inbox is full of "LAST CHANCE TO DONATE!" emails, and you're inclined to pitch in for all of them—generosity and commitment are just two of the amazing things about our readers!  It's true that today is the most important fundraising day of the year for nonprofits like us. Last year, we raised more than $40,000 on December 31 alone. Today, we're hoping to raise more than that because, frankly, independent journalism that tells the truth without fear matters more (and is riskier) than last year. If you just needed this last-minute reminder, I hope you'll [stop reading this email and make your tax-deductible donation to underwrite Mother Jones' reporting right now]. Ah, you're still reading! Okay then. You must be the kind of person who needs convincing, so I'd like to take a shot at that—with a positive, substantive argument for why supporting fearless journalism is a powerful part of how you can make a difference, and is worth your consideration as you decide on your final charitable contributions of the year. Here are some pieces that tens of thousands of MoJo readers have found convincing over the last year or so. I hope you'll take a few minutes to check them out: - "[We Were Sued by a Billionaire Political Donor. We Won. Here's What Happened.]" The backstory of the massive lawsuit by a Republican tycoon and our landmark legal win. It could have crippled us—if tens of thousands of readers hadn't had our back. - In "[There's One Piece of Democracy That Fat Cats Can't Buy]," we took some risks and opened our books to explain, transparently, how the media business works and why we need an alternative model. - During the height of the primaries, David Corn, in "[Trump, the Media, and You]," explained how Donald Trump's ranting and raving were great for advertising revenue but perilous for our democracy. - Just a few weeks later, newsrooms across the nation were rocked by closures and cutbacks. "[Pop Goes the Digital Media Bubble]" explored why the economics of media are no longer designed to support real journalism—and how reader support allows MoJo to stay focused on stories that matter and are hard to get.   - Over the summer, "[This Is What's Missing From Journalism Right Now]" did an accounting of our biggest investigation ever: Shane Bauer's firsthand look inside private prisons. We took another plunge into transparency, disclosing that it cost about $350,000 to produce that project, while the ads on the story made roughly $5,000 despite more than a million people reading it. Nearly 2,500 people signed up as [sustaining donors] to Mother Jones as a result—giving us the resources to produce investigations on this scale each year. And finally, after the election, "[Should Trump Be Investigated?]" looked at how our reporters were able to zero in on his massive conflicts of interest well before many news organizations were taking him or his conflicts seriously. (Spoiler: It was because of [support from readers like you].)  I know there's a lot of competition for your [tax-deductible, year-end donations—but I hope that by offering up a substantive argument rather than slogans and panic, we can convince you that hard-hitting journalism makes the cut]. And while today is the last chance to make charitable contributions you can deduct from your 2016 taxes, it's far from our last chance to build a new kind of news organization together. We've got so much reporting to do that it's mind-boggling, but we're up for it and hope you are too—we're going to need you to make it happen. Thanks for reading. And have a happy and safe New Year's—I hope you get a moment to reflect on everything you appreciate this year. I know I will, and I'll be thinking of readers like you. Monika Bauerlein, Chief Executive Officer Mother Jones P.S.: If you've donated in the last several hours, please accept our apologies for sending you this reminder—the database is slow to catch up. And thanks! [DONATE TO MOTHER JONES]  --------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To stop receiving email from Mother Jones or manage your subscription preferences, click [here]. --------------------------------------------------------------- [www.MotherJones.com] 222 Sutter Street, #600 San Francisco, CA USA 94108