funding priorities

in the non-profit world, fall and spring are fundraising seasons. in the past two months, i've been invited to over a dozen fundraising events (of which i've gone or am going to four - at, on average, $75-100/ticket). in addition, my mailbox and voice mail has been filling up with solicitations.

in a span of less than 24 hours, i've had four requests from four worthy causes. all these asks have made me slow down and ask myself where my funding priorities are. if i made a lot of money (i don't), i'd be happy to give to everyone - but i can't. so who do i give to and how much? all these efforts are so important and close to my heart...

1) refugee & immigrant populations
2) social change: there is a native american story about someone who saw a baby floating down a river and jumped in to save it. as soon as she brought the baby to shore, she saw another baby floating down the river; she jumped in to save it too. and then saw and saved another, and another. she enlisted her friends to help when she realized she couldn't save all the babies coming down the river. soon a gaggle of people were jumping in the river saving babies. but even with a team of well-coordinated rescuers, they couldn't save all the babies coming down the river. in a moment of sheer exhaustion, after saving the umpteenth baby from the river, she asked herself and the others: why are there babies in the river? if we can stop the babies from being thrown in the river, won't we save them all?
3) housing, hunger (anti-) and healthcare
4) creativity
5) equality: freedom to worship, freedom from institutional violence, freedom to congregate, freedom to thrive, freedom to express oneself, freedom to work at fair and equitable wages, freedom to practice one's faith, customs and/or traditions (and not preventing others from doing the same)...
6) animals
7) environment
8) education/mentorship

so i guess all this is to say that there have been few funding requests i've received that haven't been for worthy causes. i just need to figure out how to create a structure for my priorities to share the limited resources i have. i *think* this is the order in which i'd place my financial priorities.

how about yours?