Lately I've spent a lot of time reading.

I admit, sometimes I've been absorbed in the latest Game of Thrones book -- but I've also been staying up late researching the great social movements of the last century. With the climate crisis looming, I've been trying to hone in on their recipe for success.

Of course, there isn't one single recipe -- but I couldn't help but notice that they all shared a key ingredient: visual media. Photos and videos that could cut through the noise, tell a powerful story, and poignantly speak truth to power.

Think about it: the image of Rosa Parks on the bus in Montgomery. Or the video of the "Unknown Rebel" who blocked the tanks in Tiennamen Square. Or the photos of the suffragettes, standing bravely in front of the White House, sending President Wilson a direct and unignorable message.

Just like past movements, the climate movement needs iconic visuals. And that's exactly what Project Survival Media is poised to create.

But I'll be honest: we can't create those images if we don't have any money. I currently work three nights a week as a waitress so I can pay my bills help get Project Survival Media off the ground. I wish I didn't have to. All I want to do is throw myself into PSM, and help the climate movement break through before it's too late.

Project Survival Media is ready to scale up. We've learned a ton in the last few years: we've covered the biggest climate actions around the world, provided critical footage and photos to tell the story of this movement, and built a model that can empower youth on the front lines of the climate crisis.

It's been an incredible journey so far, and now we're ready to go big. Really big. We have the frameworks in place to train hundreds of youth journalists to create incredible visual media -- media that can catalyze a wave of climate action around the world. We could be approaching a tipping point for PSM's impact, but the only thing stopping us is a lack of funds.

So here's the unvarnished pitch: I'm asking you to join 99 other people and invest 50 cents a day in Project Survival Media. If 100 donors invest $15/month in the next year, we'll have $18,000 to work with every year. $18,000 would not be a lot of money for an average non-profit organization -- most of it would get lost in overhead. But we're still a scrappy upstart and we'll make your donations count.

I'm not a big fan of soliciting donations. Just writing this letter was draining for me.

But I believe, fiercely, in the mission and the potential of Project Survival Media. If you do too, click here to start your monthly donation.

So many thanks in advance.

With lots of love,

Shadia Fayne Wood for the PSM Team (Madeline, my co-director, and Ekta, Gautham, Ritu, Usha, Kaushik, & Pratik from Team India; and Caroline, Wilson, Joe, Jacqueline, & Dalmas from Team Kenya)

P.S. We just whipped up this image to drive the point home -- can you click here to share it on Facebook or here to share it on Twitter. Thanks!