[AddonAddict]

The fact is, there's people who can and will happily donate, and there's people who can't or simply won't.

The question is--how much money is needed? Well, who knows, as it's all obscured for anyone but the author to see. I would suggest they set up a monthly goal to cover expenses, then prominently display that figure on the TTP website. For every dollar that is donated, a dollar gets subtracted from that amount, and the displayed figure updated in [near] real-time. If the monthly goal is met, then the service remains online, and any additional funds goes towards the following month(s). However, if the goal isn't met, then the service goes offline until the appropriate funds are raised.

This would seem to be fair to both the author and the users, would it not? Actions in the dark can appear to be sinister in nature. This can be rectified by putting everything out in the open so people can see what is needed, when it's needed, and how their donations are actually helping the site.