Putting this back on topic, I actually think there are several reasons people stay "poor" on the server:
You need good items to hunt items. The less good items you have, the less you can hunt. I've been trying to fix this with mini events, like our free 50 hit on ano bazookas. They aren't the world's greatest items, but they are great for helping newer players.
Some people can't afford to donate. The game isn't really pay to play, but it's a lot easier to jump ahead with a few donations. And again, once you have good items, it's easy to hunt more.
Until you make friends, it's hard to get items. Solo play is rough for hunting until you're "rich."
It takes a long time to get rich. Many people don't devote enough hours to do so. A lot of players quit after just a few months or don't actually hunt event items during the events. Miss out on key events, and you stay poor.
That being said, people I play with tend to not be "poor." I like to help players when I can. With the right team, it's easy to move ahead in the game. With teamwork, donations really are optional to support the server.