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The basic assumption for understanding the answer to this question is, that it's impossible to ever finish a software product. There are always lots of changes, improvements, new features and other stuff which could be done. As a result there is always a ToDo list for future development. Almost always such a list is long, veeeery long.

Now regarding a new proposal for a change, improvement or new feature the primary decision is whether or not it's put on the ToDo list. If it makes it on the list, then it will be done .... sooner or later. The second decision, when it will be done, is the other side of the coin.

To be honest: there are very good and valuable proposals made a long time ago and still not tackled. This doesn't mean the proposals where bad. It only means other items have been of higher priority - or available time for the project was too short.

Speaking only for this project it's pretty clear what drives development and helps making the two decisons mentioned. It's the relation between the benefit people will gain from the change/improvement/feature and their own contribution to the project. In other words: those contributing to the project should benefit more than those who just use the software without giving anything back to the community in general. Thus all priorities for development are based on a rather simple ranking for items on ToDo list:

1. changes/improvements/features those people need who are active behind the scene or addicted to help others on support board.
2. features needed by those sites which continously support this project, e.g. because having booked for ongoing maintenance or constantly running early developmental code on their live boards to track down bugs.
3. sponsored features for which somebody is willing to share the costs of development/effort or changes asked for by those few people who have donated of their own accord before.
4. everything else.

Some people may think this is a weird attitude. It's certainly not because it clearly focusses on the needs of those who are contributing and it gives everybody the chance to contribute one way or the other - and to get those features into official versions for which his site is in need.

One may put this all into a simple summary:
I'm willing to share through this project what I need for my own sites and I'm ready to help those who are willing to do the same, share through this project what they need for their sites.