Some real talk.

But also some real optimism.   [Mother Jones]( MoJo Reader, Some brass tacks and numbers, some real-world examples, and some inspiration and optimism for you today. THE BRASS TACKS We kicked off our vitally important fundraising drive to raise the $253,000 in [online donations we need]( on Wednesday, and response has been good—but not good enough to put us on track to get where we need to be by October 7. We're committed to being less in your face with fundraising, but times are [beyond tough for us right now](, and the only way any of this works—including our journalism—is if we can stay on track and hit these numbers. So please: [Help us pick up the pace and support the unique journalism you get from Mother Jones with a donation of any amount today](. It truly matters right now. We're also committed to being upfront with you. That's what readers told us to do when [we have to ask for your support](, and we've seen some encouraging signs since taking your advice. SO HOW ABOUT SOME REAL TALK? The big thing about why $253,000 is so important right now is actually kind of dumb and arbitrary, or at least it’s supreme sausage-making—in a nuts-and-bolts type of way. Big picture, we need to bring in $1.4 million in online donations by June. That’s the number and deadline that matter most. Breaking even when all is said and done each year. Last year we did not. Last year we fell behind and had to cut $1 million from our budget—and still came up a bit short. We can't let that happen again. We have zero cushion, no backup, and certainly no rainy-day fund (it's been pouring for a while). Instead, we have readers like you. And being able to rally $253,000 [in donations]( over these next two weeks is vital because it is the number that keeps us right on track—so we don't end up with a bigger gap than can be filled again, and also because it helps us avoid any significant (and knowable) cash-flow crunches for now. We used to be more nonchalant about coming up short this time of year, fall campaigns have been the hardest, and we always thought, oh well, we'll nail the next one and make it up down the road. We can't think that way anymore. Those cash-flow considerations didn't used to factor into these online pushes as much. Now they do. [Please help if you can](. SOME REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES And we've seen how important hitting those numbers is month after month, year after year to avoid catastrophe—more often than we'd like. One day last March, we woke up to news that the legendary Texas Observer had suddenly shuttered before many knew how dire it truly was for them. Once folks knew, no surprise, readers stepped up big time and breathed new life into the 69-year-old institution. That was shocking and hit [sooooo]( close to home. And just yesterday, we woke up to news that the [The City](—a badass, nonprofit, New York City-focused newsroom—is in trouble, [evidently]( losing some big donors and forcing staff to agree to a 20 percent cut in hours as the best way to make the finances work. That's brutal. Tim Murphy, a New York-based reporter here, said it best in our staff-wide chat: "Just sort of embarrassing how many cultural institutions in the city swim in bottomless funds from plutocrats and a news org that, honestly, just writes about why your basic services don't work, can't cut it." Ugh. It’s all so fragile. And can be quite grim. BUT HERE'S THE INSPIRING AND OPTIMISTIC PART Something that sets Mother Jones apart from not just mainstream media companies, but virtually every other national newsroom in America is this: We are [supported]( by a lot of people, not mostly by people who have a lot. Many media companies, and even nonprofits, rely on a relatively small number of individuals and foundations who can give checks with a lot of zeroes. At Mother Jones, our work is sustained by [people who expect better from the media and can give $5, $50, or even $500]( from time to time to help us do things different—especially when we have to make a BFD about it, like we are right now. That’s harder in a lot of ways, and a lot more uncertain, than getting those big gifts. But you know what is more powerful than a few millionaires or billionaires and their whims? A large and steady group of people who care immensely about journalism and [pitch in what you can]( when you can*. A community. And [a cause](. That kind of support, that belief in people-powered journalism that exists to bring about change, doesn't go poof all at once. Especially right now, a strong and steady base of [tens of thousands of donors like you]( is vital to help us shore up what we can given the forces that are decimating journalism. And that, MoJo community, is another big reason why hitting $253,000 in [donations from you all]( is vital right now. [Please help if you can](. We simply have to see a very strong response from this email. Onward, Monika Bauerlein CEO Brian Hiatt Online Membership Director [Donate]( * All readers, no matter if we can "monetize you" in crass industry terms or not, are vitally important—100 percent. None of this matters if no one reads and shares and talks about and looks forward to our journalism. In fact, we know many of you live on very tight, fixed budgets—we get that, and appreciate that you read these emails and let us know. Brian wanted to get stickers made for this push that said "I would donate to Mother Jones but I can’t afford to right now because of many of the structural issues they report on,” but it seemed impractical for now. Maybe we should? [Let us know about that and anything else we can do better here](.   [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