social communities like forums are still humming along

Is the web still full of vBulletin and phpBB forums that can sustain themselves with donations and such? I think the only ones left are the ones who asked for donations from the start. Yes, hosting is relatively cheap, but when boards get bigger they have to add capacity and that all adds up. There's only so much 'pocket money' can get you. Eventually you will need to sustain a forum with fees or donations.