Nope, Coca-Cola. We're Not Down.

**May 24, 2016 | UPDATE** We've come a long way since we rejected Coca-Cola's “open-budget” ad pitch two weeks ago! Already, 783 readers have joined our campaign to raise $50,000 in memberships, subscriptions, and donations by May 31. We have $28,299 left to raise and WE KNOW WE CAN DO THIS! Will you step up and snag an $8 membership to help keep Bitch independent (look at what you get at the bottom of this post!)? Or donate! Or subscribe to Bitch magazine on sale! Let's prove that hundreds of readers are more powerful than one big corporate check any day!

Yesterday we launched a campaign to raise $50,000 before May 31. Despite our website being attacked by spammers nearly continuously from 5 am to 3 pm, our efforts to raise this critical funding to continue publishing Bitch magazine and all of the fantastically feminist content you find here at Bitch Media are off to a promising start.

Readers responded to our request: “HELP KEEP BITCH INDEPENDENT” and to our conviction that capitalism is not a model for progressive, feminist media by donating, subscribing and joining our monthly giving program.

Guess what also happened yesterday? Kate, our Director for Strategic Engagement, took a call from a persistent advertising salesperson representing Coca-Cola and a Capital One Bank who was interested in online advertising with Bitch. They had an “open budget,” whatever that means. We're in a campaign to raise $50,000 because cashflow is tight—we've laid out ambitious plans for the year!—and we want every single program to be fully funded. But WE ARE NOT ABOUT to say yes to two huge corporations to get the funding we need.

We've been around for 20 years because we've been consistent with our values and said “NO” time after time to big pharma, global purveyors of alcohol and tobacco, people trying to get rid of our acne, and corporations who think our readers are into “edgy” crotch shots. There's a time and a place for all of these things, but not when it means trading editorial independence for much-needed funding for our uncompromising feminist response to mainstream media and pop culture.

We believe being independent and reader supported is essential to remaining true to our mission and we hope you feel the same way. (Are you ready to donate or become a member of the B-Hive yet? Please do!)

We just had to share yesterday's perfect storm of spammers slowing down our site (would you have waited the full 60 seconds it took for our donation page to load? No!) and major advertisers calling to offer us loads of cash if we'd just sell you crap you don't need.

And if you feel like it, become a member today as a vote for independent feminist media! Because WHY DO BAD DAYS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO GOOD NONPROFIT FEMINIST MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS? Also because membership includes a mug, a pin, a subscription to Bitch magazine, and a “My Feminism Is Not For Sale” sticker (because it isn't, right?!) and the extreme heart-warming feeling that comes out of donating to a bunch of feminist writers who can't wait to crank out another response to pop culture.

PS: Here's a picture of what's included with your B-Hive membership. Join for just $8 a month!