but I'm too suspicious of the KS model to say "here, have some money with no strings."
Well, the point of the KS model is that it's only as good as the people running the project. From a technical standpoint it all runs through Amazon Payments and is quite secure.
Really you can take KS out of the equation entirely and ask yourself "am I OK with giving Paul Goebel $20 (or whatever) on his promise that he will use the money to fund a pilot?" If the answer is no, then don't do it.
All KS does is add "and it only happens if a bunch of other people say yes as well" to the equation.
(Considering this is the same guy who was making money from robes and medals, my answer is an emphatic "no," but YMMV.)