View difference between Paste ID: NC8JB4hV and 5B2MfdKk

 /**
 * Try something like this to get a users role and check if the role is your premium member role, if it is
 * then display the badge. Use this inside loop-single-reply.php inside your theme. NOTE: I haven't tested
 * this yet.
 */
 
 $user = new WP_User( bbp_get_reply_author_id ( bbp_get_reply_id() ) );
-echo $user->roles[0];
+$user_role = $user->roles[0];
 
 if ( $user_role == "donating_member" ) {
 	echo "<img='http://example.com/badge.gif' />";
 }