If by "people" I mean everyone and not just direct users of their products. Something more akin to the Linux or Apache Foundations, including both private sector donations and government grants etc. A DIVERSE set of funding sources, not sharing ad revenue from a direct competitor. Having "people" directly pay to play as it were would never work, as we've seen before in other industries like news, etc.
Many companies and governments have a vested interest in the web continuing to exist as an open platform and not just a corporate playground controlled by 3 corporations. Without Firefox or something like it, the web becomes a defacto standard at best, largely controlled by Google (and to a lesser extent Apple and even lesser extent Microsoft)