The JOBS Act will let companies set up Kickstartr-style funding portals for small investors.[1] It was signed in April, but the SEC is still in the process of defining how it will be implemented.
However, still seems like a bit of a hassle: "One of the conditions of this exemption is a yearly aggregate limit on the amount each person may invest in offerings of this type, tiered by the person′s net worth or yearly income. The limit ranges from 2% of people earning (or worth) up to $40,000, up to a cap of $10,000 for people earning (or worth) $100,000 or more."
Presumably, the onus will be on the funding channel (i.e. kickstarter) to validate these accreditation rules of their investors. If there is a big hesitation for new users to simply register an email/password for a site, imagine when you are asking them to also submit tax returns and copies of ID.
Don't get me wrong though, I guess its better than nothing.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumpstart_Our_Business_Startups...