Even when people could afford these costs (for instance by funging against donations), asking for money serves another useful purpose: it serves as a sanity check on whether this is a reasonable use of resources.
For people who can afford it and are confident the expense is justified, it makes sense for them just to pay. Having a system they can apply to makes sense both for those who cannot afford it, and those who want a hard-nosed outside opinion.
Even when people could afford these costs (for instance by funging against donations), asking for money serves another useful purpose: it serves as a sanity check on whether this is a reasonable use of resources.
For people who can afford it and are confident the expense is justified, it makes sense for them just to pay. Having a system they can apply to makes sense both for those who cannot afford it, and those who want a hard-nosed outside opinion.