Other than the "Buy me a Beer" idea, ChipIn is the next closeness thing that I have came across for donation.

ChipIn is a tool that simplifies the process of raising funds from donations or contributions.

ChipIn is easy to configure and well laid out. You just need to key in what you are collecting money for, the amount that you want to raise (if any), the date you need the money and your PayPal account. Next, embed the ChipIn Widget onto your blog and wait for contribution to arrive via PayPal, direct deposit or Check.

ChipIn works with many popular social media Websites such as Blogger, WordPress, MySpace, TypePad, Facebook etc.

I feel that ChipIn is a simple and interesting tool for individuals who are raising funds. Especially for the Charity because the purpose of the fund, time frame and progress are displayed nicely.