You're that guy that likes to bat down any and all constructive criticism without offering anything in return aren't you? Good effort.
Define "huge cut", what if the total proceeds are well higher than they would have been without the utility, making the fee obviously worth it?
What makes you think you have to run a fundraising plugin on the same platform you're running forums on? My point is, if you don't want to pay the fee to a fundraising site, throw a squarespace/wordpress install on your already paid for web server, and host it yourself.
Considering how integral funding is to this entire project's existence, it makes sense to invest in the most optimal fund raising method possible. This shit isnt rocket science.