What might be nice addition to the fund idea is some way to donate a very small amount to each application I use.
Lets say we have a script that gets a list of all installed programs and sorts out the "indie" packages.
Now, I decide to donate $5 to development. I donate that to the fund, along with a list of applications generated by the script(Possibly even with usage information). The fund then gives each developer a share of that money.

Obviousky, lowever, the fund would keep each dev's money until it reached a certain level - like $10 - so that fees don't eat it all up.

This would allow someone to donate money to what they use without spending huge amounts, wasting lots in fees, or playing favorites.