Hi Mother Jones Reader, 

Last week, we kicked off our Fall Membership Drive (if you missed it, every donation is doubled just until Friday). Today though, I want to share more about how Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting are funded.

Spoiler alert: There is no secret slush fund or sugar daddy. It’s all about readers like you.

Newsrooms can be funded in many ways, and one of the most controversial (and volatile) ways is by a corporation or billionaire owner. We see it across the headlines on a weekly basis: the claw backs in public media, the gutting of The Washington Post, the bending over backwards to appeal to Donald Trump and his allies. (Did you see how Jimmy Kimmel had to spike the broadcast of his James Talarico interview because the FCC pressured ABC?)

But not here.

When Mother Jones first started publishing 50 years ago, the founders made a critical decision: to be a reader-supported nonprofit. They knew that no corporate owner would be interested in a muckraking newsroom; they also knew that no muckraking newsroom would be interested in following the agenda of a corporate owner.

And so, we’ve been reader-funded for half a century. We rely on contributions from our readers, whether it’s $50, or $15 a month, or whatever fits your budget. People give what they can, and every donation makes a difference for our newsroom, which has grown tremendously—in size and reach and renown—since its inception in 1976.

You may be wondering: What does it take to publish an investigation? And what does my donation actually fund? The answers are one and the same: It takes people, resources, and time. And that’s what your donation funds directly.

Let’s break down one story from last month: the incredible Abby Vesoulis’ deep dive into the damning domestic abuse allegations against Rep. Max Miller. Abby spent months requesting public documents, reading them line by line, and tracking how it was all connected. She followed the thread and tugged—yanked, at times—to find out the truth of the matter.

And though it’s Abby’s name on the byline, a lot of other folks on our team had a hand in making the investigation come to life: factcheckers, copyeditors, editors, designers to create the art in the article, developers to launch the article on the web, news and engagement editors to share the story across social platforms, and our director of communications and impact to share Abby’s story with more news outlets.

There were also field expenses, which add up quickly:

Of course, it takes tech to make these investigations happen. (Though a reporter’s notebook and pen will always do in a pinch.) For this feature, that included a laptop, cell phone, computer program for recording interviews, microphone—for reporting purposes, and also for Abby to be able to join seven other news outlets’ programs to speak more about the investigation.

The team, the field expenses, the equipment: It all adds up, and we count on readers to make it possible. Abby got this story because she was willing to do the work that no other journalist out there did. Our whole team is dedicated to getting the truth out; when you donate, you’re helping get the truth out too.

Every donation Mother Jones receives from readers fortifies our newsroom, whether we’re covering underreported scandals out of Washington, DC, or diving deep into court documents and reports that the powerful would rather stay hidden. Right now, to make your gift go even further, every donation will be doubled thanks to our $50,000 match. But this matching challenge only goes until Friday. We need you now to help fund the next investigations.

Your support keeps us going. If you’re able, make a donation of any amount today.

Thanks for reading,
Monika Bauerlein, CEO
The Center for Investigative Reporting
Mother Jones

P.S. There are just three days left in the $50,000 match, and we’ve only raised half that amount. That means right now we’re leaving $25,000 on the table. Will you chip in today and help us make the most of this matching challenge? Donate now.