Lehman Brothers isn't the only venerable American institution on the brink of financial ruin this week. Bitch, the 13-year-old feminist publication, needs $40,000 by October 15th to print its next issue and it's asking its readers for help.

On the Web site, Andi Zeisler, the mag's co-founder and editorial director, and Debbie Rasmussen, its director and publisher, offer a heart felt plea for Bitch's continued existence.

In a video on the site, Zeisler says that while the bulk of donations come in $10, $20 and $30, "if you have a lot to donate, that would be fantastic. We would never turn that down." Here's hoping this strategy is as effective for them as it is for the Obama campaign.

Even if the magazine reaches its goal, the future is up in the air.

And while we can't say what form Bitch will take in the future (our direction will depend, in part, on your feedback), we can say that we've been hard at work to find an innovative publishing model that will allow us to maintain the spirit and integrity of Bitch while also reflecting the changing world around us.