One of my team mates, Will Acuff, shared one of the best 'fundraising'
pitches I've heard in a long time - and it comes from NPR no less.
Its effectiveness isn't so much about 'why' you should give, but more
about the shameful nature of selfishness when it comes to the
internet. We, as avid internet users, enjoy so much and pay so
little. Music, Movies, News, etc - all enjoyed for hours & only paid
for on the backs of so few.

Here's a great part...

"I just want to be frank this week... you don't have to give. 93% of
you hear me ask for donations and you get the podcast week after week
and you never give... and if you don't give this time, I'm not going
to pretend, nothing bad will happen. The podcast is going to be here
next week, someone else will give. That is the rational, truthful
fact of the situation"

And it continues with more frank, thought-provoking comments.
Ultimately, they need to cover the cost of what everyone is enjoying.
It even says that $5 will cover your share of the entire year...

Whether you're a consumer of content OR a content creator, I strongly
recommend you listen:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/sites/all/play_music/play_full.php?play=102