For something that is ready to enter manufacturing I think a pre-order model is appropriate. I'd be alarmed if someone used those words on an idea or something in the middle of the prototyping process.
A "donate now" button for a commercial venture is an instant and permanent red flag for me.
No, perhaps not. There is no visual difference between a well made prototype and a zero-batch machine or even a production item. But there is a huge difference in the amount of work that needs to be done to get from the one to the other. Sometimes years.
The last 10% takes 90% of the time is true in hardware manufacturing just as much or more as it is in software.
For something that is ready to enter manufacturing I think a pre-order model is appropriate. I'd be alarmed if someone used those words on an idea or something in the middle of the prototyping process.
A "donate now" button for a commercial venture is an instant and permanent red flag for me.