If for library regarding preserving knowledge, and other sales tactics....
You might be able to present for supporting an anonymous encrypted storage platform... such as Tahoe-LAFS, MaidSafe, IPFS, Bitcoin full nodes, Zensystem.io, a Wiki, NNTP, there are many more such "store of data / knowledge" things out there to choose from... all over Tor or I2P or CJDNS.
For anti-correlation reasons you're not supposed to run some services on the same box as a relay (or even anywhere administratively, logically, or physically near the box), especially if the service running on top does not itself fully encrypt and distribute the data out of reach thus making seizure moot. Depending on that analysis, you could present to also run the relay [on another box] to help supply the 7x bandwidth and cpu impact the onion service has on the relay network.
Anonymity overlay networks are nothing in themselves, it's the applications and usage people run over them that makes them useful. If the overlay network itself isn't interesting enough to attract funding / approval / internet / hardware from somewhere, maybe the applications riding on top can be.
You could also further tie it into doing some form of research, education, outreach, overview, tech in operation presentations... all "sponsored by: <sponsor>". Many entities will bend over backwards for a free name drop.
Or just sell it like a used car dealer... $1000 runs great! Good luck ;)