Whatever DonateWC is, its existence illustrates how complicated and expensive it is to build and maintain proper WordPress sites.

Plus, if DonateWC and Automattic are truly concerned about helping “less fortunate people” with websites, they should be focusing their efforts on making WordPress sites much easier to build and maintain.

I think you're confused Scott - this is about helping people be able to afford to go to a WordCamp. It has nothing to do with building sites.

Why can’t the folks who can’t attend watch the event on WordPress.tv or livestream?

I can't speak for anybody else, particularly Ines, but there's a huge benefit to visiting a WordCamp in person - the face-to-face networking alone is tremendously beneficial.

I appreciate minimalist design, but donatewc.org is surprisingly basic for a site built by/for a Happiness Engineer at Automattic.

These “Happiness Engineers” have access to tons of free themes and still 1000 Euros is solicited which seems scammy..

This initiative just looks like another shot at attention grabbing.

Wow. Really. Somebody, off their own back (they may work for Automattic but this isn't being run by the company) sets up a non-profit to help others get to WordCamps and this is your take-away?