Well, that's a development I didn't expect, but it's understandable. I've been a free-lancer myself, I can't really blame him that he can't afford to work for weeks, let alone months on something he doesn't get paid for. Maybe someone else is offering him a paying job right now, and he just has to make a choice.
Much like the others, I wouldn't mind donating something in the same area as the others mentioned, but the $ 500 minimum sounds a bit steep for the few that are left of us (there might be more than we think, but since we often see the same names at various communities, I tend to think in terms of dozens rather than hundreds
)
I like this project, this is why Im ready to work on it for a month or two without tangible profit.
This gives me hope, in terms of motivation at least.
Pity I don't have experience with Kickstarter either, I feel it would help to get the donations collected in a more organized way than what he's suggesting now (don't have experience with Western Union either, only Paypal)