I run seti@home because I think its a neeto project. I think that someday we will find something... that is assuming that other beings out in the galaxy are using the same types of technology that we are using. I think that is the one possible big flaw about the project and that is Aliens are using the same technology that we are and that we will be able to pick it up. But again, I have not thought this out to much.
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.