i don't think the donation route would pay for much at all.
afaik, it hasn't so far... and the donation button has been out there since december.
(i believe the Christmas money was blown on the new servers... taxes... and maybe a present or two)

don't get me wrong... if some of you 'famously' wealthy types would like to support the site, a $1-2k donation would probably cover the year and ads may go away (talk to ellay about that.. but it's my guess)

meanwhile, i have no problem accepting a couple of ads, especially if they are relevant. (i'd suggest a vertical banner that rotates between ips)

the amount of time and effort as well as the monetary costs need to be offset somehow... otherwise the site will suffer.
(you guys have noticed an improvement in site performance and better layouts, right? time and money...)