We borrow from Peter to pay Paul!
Obviously we can't speak for MEACFans.com but since you asked....
Onnidan.com is financed from proceeds we receive for other work. We currently manage websites for the CIAA and SIAC and the monthly fees we receive from them help cover the cost of running Onnidan.com.
We also have several content deals where we are paid to do stories related to black college sports.
We also have an athletic statistical division which provides crews for several schools and special events (classic games, tournaments, etc.). Last year, we provided stat crews for the CIAA Tournament, MEAC Tournament, NCAA Division III Championship, Big Ten Women's Tournament, Pioneer Bowl and North Carolina High School Athletic Association's football and basketball state championships.
We have provided statisticians for television games if the producers want their own people rather than using local folk.
Together, these multiple sources of revenue have provided sufficient income to cover the costs of maintaining Onnidan.com.
A year or so ago, we tried to form a "booster club" for people to donate to our site but we got very few responses.
Our ability to keep operating is not a function of donations and advertising revenue but rather other revenue streams that we have been able to develop.
Each site has its own method of operating and Kenn's previous explanations are very much on point regarding what it takes generally to run a web site.
The one thing we do differently is use family members to handle much of the web maintenance work. That way we keep our personnel costs low ;-)
=OW=