I don't carry cash.  Actually, I'm rather surprised when I find any amount of cash in my wallet - it means that I forgot to give my wife the change from whatever purchase I made!  Cash is a foreign thing to me, and checks are from the country next to where cash comes from.  Cash, in fact, seems to be a bit of an endangered species, and checks aren't far behind.  This comes to my mind every time I attend a church function with a "suggested offering" plate out, or when I pass by people collecting for any number of worthy causes that use collection plates.  About a year ago, in fact, I asked to gentlemen collecting for the a MS foundation how things were going.  The reply was, "Not good, people just don't carry cash around any more."

Naturally, this is a problem for non-profits which typically have relied on collection plate giving, as well as other gifts (many of which are spontaneous).   Without the ability to collect these funds for their work, what's going to happen?  Some organizations have gone to accepting credit card purchases, but the fees and headaches of setting up such a service often keep smaller organizations away.  Sites like paypal allow for online donations or payments for goods, but they take away the possibility of "real world" interaction with those who would give.  There really hasn't been an easy solution, until now.