Sure, fair enough, my example was too narrow, and I guess you assumed I meant that was the _only_ reason they donate.

I was comparing the call-out to the shallow "direct" interaction of the meet-and-greet specifically.

But yes you're right, in the broader sense, people donate because they get value out of the content, and they want to support the creator.

Other parasocial factors may or may not be present as well.