It’d be interesting if beacons had three stages. Stage 1 would be normal. It’s owned by someone and has fuel. Stage 2 is when it runs out of fuel and for a time it’s sort of flickering…protects against regen but blocks can be placed and removed inside and the beacon is open to new owners. Stage 3 is shut-down. The beacon no longer protects against regen.
I’m game for public donations too, but I think the above would help in the event that someone doesn’t want to own the beacon anymore. That way you don’t just have to donate to keep cool builds alive, but you can take them over to make them even cooler.