May 1, 1997

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A catalog queen gets her money’s worth.

#197 Lillian Vernon, 70, Greenwich, Conn. Party: D. $124,060 total contributions.

View Vernon’s itemized contributions.

Lillian Vernon Lillian Vernon heads a $238 million mail-order business. And, having donated $239,000 to the DNC since Clinton’s election in 1992, she publicizes her many presidential invitations (including — yes — a night in the Lincoln Bedroom) in her biography, An Eye for Winners. Both sides benefit, of course. Madison Avenue calls it “cross-marketing.” Vernon stumps for the president, and the first lady has recalled in at least one speech her days in Arkansas flipping through the pages of the Lillian Vernon catalog. You can probably get a copy of the speech … C.O.D., of course.

Photo Credit: Lillian Vernon Corp.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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