I currently fund it with money from a separate enterprise, although I have plans to make it self-funding in the future.
I did a donation drive last year to get us over a rough patch because my other enterprise wasn't able to take up the slack for a while, but since then have reviewed the funding of the site and as part of the move to new software plan to develop more revenue streams.
It is my intention to always keep the forums advertisement free, and I hope to be able to do this by creating a complimentary marketplace on the site where traders can advertise, and members can browse/buy (
it's still very much on the drawing board though!!).
Regardless of funding, it is very much a labour of love. It's also much more than just an online forum - there's a great real-world aspect to it with the many rides and get togethers, as well as the heads-up for events and cycling happenings that bring us together off-line. Lots of us have made a great many friends through CC and learned a lot about cycling and life as a result.
<Passes around the hankies so we can all have a jolly good cry>
I'll have to stop there as my speech has got all wet and I can't read the rest ... lol
Cheers,
Shaun