Unless you are really strapped for cash - a forum is not a huge expense. Find a good cheap host, domain, and software (if you happen not to choose one of the many many quality free software) you won't start with ads plastered on the site. Eventually however, you'll be further in the red without any income. One of your best options is running ads on the site (many times donations don't work out and just don't look as professional).
When adding ads, there will be back lash. No matter how big or small the site - remember when Youtube first added "commercials" or ads before a video. Or even the inline ads that you would have to click the x to vanish. Online petitions formed. So adding ads is a tricky business. But take Youtube as a model. You still use it - because ads were added gradually - they were not blatantly pasted all over the site over night.
So when adding ads to your forums, be conservative - don't get greedy. If you build to fast your building will collapse. Start with a maximum of two global ad placements in a non-intrusive place. I can't say where that is on your forum. Use a mirror site, and add them and see where you notice them the least when browsing before adding it to the site.
Now adsense has an amazing tool which lets you ban certain ads from showing (grannylove.org) or certain colors (i.e neon green background with pink text). So tune it to your site - remember hardwork pays off.
Last bit of help I can give is make sure your community knows that you're doing it to improve the site - which should be the case!
When adding ads, there will be back lash. No matter how big or small the site - remember when Youtube first added "commercials" or ads before a video. Or even the inline ads that you would have to click the x to vanish. Online petitions formed. So adding ads is a tricky business. But take Youtube as a model. You still use it - because ads were added gradually - they were not blatantly pasted all over the site over night.
So when adding ads to your forums, be conservative - don't get greedy. If you build to fast your building will collapse. Start with a maximum of two global ad placements in a non-intrusive place. I can't say where that is on your forum. Use a mirror site, and add them and see where you notice them the least when browsing before adding it to the site.
Now adsense has an amazing tool which lets you ban certain ads from showing (grannylove.org) or certain colors (i.e neon green background with pink text). So tune it to your site - remember hardwork pays off.
Last bit of help I can give is make sure your community knows that you're doing it to improve the site - which should be the case!
