You can buy a feature off of a trusted donator, make sure they have a CustomTag or a $ sign by their name. Also, take screenshots of the transaction and file a complaint on the forums if they do not purchase it soon.
The current pricing is around $6000 ECD to every USD. If you plan on buying a $10 giftcard you would be paying 60k. I suggest you get at least Resident first, but it is totally up to you.
Try things like mining, farming, and fishing. These are good ways to make money here. Whether or not someone will just give you the money, I have no idea. You cant also vote each day, and this will get you about $1,200 per day.
You'll need 15,000 ECD to be qualified for the 'Resident' rank in EcoCityCraft. To be able to get 15,000 ECD, you could follow up with RyanJF1's post above. For example, Mining, Fishing or perhaps Farming. However, in EcoCityCraft, there's an additional catch. You could vote everyday to be award Nether Stars; voting at all sites a day will give you 6 Nether Stars in total. Then, you can either sell the nether stars to players or by using the following command, '/sell hand' - With the Nether Stars on hand. Once you have earned your 15,000 ECD, you are then qualified to apply for 'Resident'. To apply, go to the following link: http://ecocitycraft.com/forum/forms/resident-application.1/respond Give the staffs 1-7 days to process your application. Once your application has been approved, your 15,000 ECD will be deducted and you'll be given the 'Resident' rank. Do note, that if there are any faults in your application, for example, applying without the 15,000 ECD in your balance, you'll be fined. The link below will provide you with the given information with regards to being fined for faulty applications. http://www.ecocitycraft.com/forum/threads/info-fines-fines-for-improper-applications.169/ With regards, Cyrus