I'm generally confused why people run a website if they can't pay the costs involved in having one. There's plenty of free webhosts out there to use. Granted, they ain't the ritz but they're free. I seem to be seeing the donation button quite often on personal websites too - it's a puzzle.
Aye, and there is the crux of the problem. Donations/pay, you nailed it succinctly.
ETA. If you cannot afford a website, then do not start one, expecting others to pay for it, let alone for yer starving chilluns.