The sad thing is that stepping down as maintainer is the only thing that raises sufficient awareness. You can put a disclaimer in your README that you need help, you can run around and beg for support, but this is unlikely to have any effect. It's only this kind of finality that can change things.
After I stepped down as libxml2 maintainer for the first time, I received a donation from Google which made it possible to continue my work. This wouldn't have happened otherwise. Of course, this isn't a sustainable approach to funding, but I'd encourage maintainers to step down sooner if they feel that they don't get enough support. You'll be surprised how many people will reach out to you after you made this step. Nobody will blame you if some support materializes and you rethink your decision.
After I stepped down as libxml2 maintainer for the first time, I received a donation from Google which made it possible to continue my work. This wouldn't have happened otherwise. Of course, this isn't a sustainable approach to funding, but I'd encourage maintainers to step down sooner if they feel that they don't get enough support. You'll be surprised how many people will reach out to you after you made this step. Nobody will blame you if some support materializes and you rethink your decision.