DEAR HARRIETTE: A lot of my friends are artists, and as they are looking to make new work, they use social media fundraising sites to raise money. I have gotten at least 10 requests recently from people I know well as well as people who are acquaintances, asking me to contribute to their projects. I like the idea of this type of fundraising mechanism, but I also feel like I am being hustled. I respect the fact that people want to make their projects happen. I am just not sure how I should manage this. I can't afford to support all of these people. How do I choose? How do I say no when I don't want to do it or don't have the cash to do it? -- Tapped Out, Chicago

DEAR TAPPED OUT: Why not approach these requests individually? Review what each project is and determine whether it interests you. Do you want to support the particular person? Do you believe in the project? If the answers are yes, then figure out how much you can afford to give.

If you believe in a project but do not have the financial resources, you can say as much to your friend. Send a note or make a call congratulating the person on the creative pursuit in question. State that you wish the person the very best with the project and that, unfortunately, you will not be able to make a financial contribution at this time.

For people who are not a part of your life but who are soliciting financial resources through these social media means, you can simply decline to contribute.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My best friend lost her father six months ago, and she just lost her mother's last remaining sibling. She is so sad. Now she has no parents or aunts or uncles. She has a husband and child, but she is feeling very distressed right now. I am not sure how to support her, other than to talk to her on the phone as much as possible. We live in different states. I attended her dad's funeral. I was not able to get to her aunt's, but I will be visiting her later this summer. What else can I do? -- Friend in Need, Jackson, Miss.

DEAR FRIEND IN NEED: Dealing with loss is tremendously difficult. Your friend essentially has lost all of her family elders. That has to be difficult. It will likely take her time to accept her new reality.

It is a blessing that she has her nuclear family and you to love and support her. What you can do is continue to be a great listener. Call, text and email her with frequency. Check in to see how she is managing. Ask her, with some frequency, what you can do to help her out. On occasion, she may tell you specific things that you can do.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My father does not like the guys I date usually, but he especially does not like my current boyfriend because he is black. I have dated all kinds of guys, but my dad has made it abundantly clear that he does not want to get to know this one. I would not say that my dad is prejudiced, because he seems to be very nice to other black people, but I think it is more that he doesn't want me, his daughter, to date an African-American. What should I do? It makes my boyfriend uncomfortable to be around my dad. -- Pleasing My Dad, Bronx, N.Y.

DEAR PLEASING MY DAD: Prejudice is a tricky thing. In theory, people can seem to be either tolerant or even embracing of those who are dissimilar from them. When it comes to a personal situation though, it can be totally different. There is a chance that your father does have some prejudice as it relates to your boyfriend being black. There is also the possibility that he may not realize he harbors any prejudice if it is indeed true.

I would be careful not to be so quick to make that judgment. Unless your father has essentially said as much to you, you may want to consider if there is any other reason that he may not like your boyfriend. When they met, did something happen that could have turned him off? Has your boyfriend ever mistreated you, that your father is aware of? Review your relationship with your boyfriend and the interactions between your father and him.

Go one step further and approach your father about this. Ask him why he is refusing to get to know your boyfriend. Remind him of how valuable you consider his opinion. Ask him if his dislike is because your boyfriend is black. Do your best to discuss the situation fully with him. If your father is being unknowingly prejudiced, he may be willing to reconsider his position if you present it in a way that he can hear.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Two of my siblings recently lost their jobs. We are very close, so I have done my best to support them through this tough period. It is getting hard on me, though. I have a good job, but I also have a family to care for. I have been giving my siblings money almost every month to help them get by, but I realize that I am going to have to stop. I do not want to desert them, but I'm at my limit. How can I break the news to them without creating a greater burden? -- Stretched Too Thin, Silver Spring, Md.

DEAR STRETCHED TOO THIN: Be direct with your siblings, and tell them that you will have to stop supplementing them. This does not mean, however, that you have to stop helping them in other ways. Make sure that they are signed up for unemployment insurance. If they were fired from their jobs, they should be eligible for that. Encourage them to dust off their resumes and actively look for work. Do your best to inspire them to take action.

If they lash out at you, stand your ground. Restate your limitations as you also express your love for them.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My roommate and I wanted to get a dog together because our apartment was lonely. We ended up getting a cute little sheepdog, but I am allergic to him. He is so cute, and I do not want to get rid of him, but my allergies are killing me. I feel that it isn't fair to my roommate to not have a dog just because of me. I have started on an over-the-counter allergy regimen, which helps a little, but I don't know how long I can go always waking up stuffy. -- Allergic, Shreveport, La.

DEAR ALLERGIC: Too bad you did not realize you were allergic from the start. Since you agreed to get the dog, it is best for you to do all you can to figure out if you can cohabitate with it. Start by going to a doctor. There may be something more potent than over-the-counter allergy medication that can help you.

You and your roommate should also be vigilant about vacuuming and dusting. Sheepdogs have long hair that sheds. Do your best to limit the amount of dander that lingers in the air. To achieve that, you have to clean constantly. You should keep your bedroom off-limits to the dog. Close the door. Let your roommate know that the dog can never enter your room. You can also limit how much you touch the dog. You can be kind and loving without petting, even though it may seem hard to do.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My brother is dating my ex-girlfriend, and while I told him it was OK and that it didn't bother me, it does. I don't have feelings for her or anything, but I feel odd knowing that my little brother is dating her. They look happy together, and I do not want to say anything to my brother that will upset him or make him break up with her just because of me. -- Misgivings, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MISGIVINGS: It is only natural for it to be tough for someone you love to date someone you once dated, especially if you and the former girlfriend were close. On the one hand, it was big of you to give your brother permission to date her. Even more, it was respectful of your brother to ask you. Still, that doesn't change the reality that you are dealing with today.

Seeing their relationship play out in real life would have to be difficult, at least at first. I do not think you should say anything to your brother. Instead, live your life. If you are dating someone, focus your energy on that relationship rather than your brother's. If you are not, go about your daily activities with gusto. Stay in the moment and resist obsessing over what your brother and she are doing.

Be kind and cordial to her when she is around. Decide that you will be able to accept them as a couple. Over time, with that intention, you should be able to make that happen.