What wins when two good things collide?

Many hard decisions are hard not because we don’t know what matters.

They’re hard because multiple things matter at the same time.

Relationships matter. 

Revenue matters. 

Staff wellbeing matters. 

Mission impact matters. 

Community trust matters. 

Financial sustainability matters.

So, what do we do when those things seem to pull against each other?

We often use a tool called “Even Overs,” which we learned from the folks at The Ready.

What is an even over?

An even over is a statement that helps you choose between two good things.

Not because one thing is wrong or unimportant. But because sometimes values, priorities, and needs pull against each other.

An even over names what you’ll prioritize when that tension shows up.

It’s one good thing even over another good thing.

Some examples from fundraising and nonprofit work:

• Relationships even over meeting quarterly targets

• Community speakers even over volunteer speakers

• Locally-owned vendors even over lowest cost

• Staff wellness even over nonstop growth

• Mission investment even over maintaining large fund balances

• Community truth even over donor comfort

These statements can feel uncomfortable at first. That’s part of the point.

Even overs force us to acknowledge that strategy often involves tradeoffs. Few decisions perfectly satisfy every value, need, or constituent group all at once. Instead of pretending there’s no tension, even overs help teams name it openly and decide what matters most.

How to create your own even overs

You can begin creating your own even overs with a simple conversation:

“What are some of the good things we keep having to choose between?”

Write each “good thing” on a sticky note. Then invite people to start pairing them into even overs — one good thing even over another good thing.

As people propose statements, talk about real examples:

• When have we chosen one over the other?

• Which choices felt aligned?

• Which created tension or confusion?

• What do our actions suggest we actually prioritize?

You’ll likely start noticing patterns pretty quickly.

From there, work together to identify three to five even overs that feel most important right now.

Then use them.

Let them guide budgeting, hiring, fundraising, partnerships, communications, and day-to-day decision-making. Trust the people closest to the work to use them when making choices.

And don’t worry about getting them perfect.

Even overs should evolve as your team learns, your organization changes, and your ecosystem shifts. Come back to them every three to six months and ask:

• Are these still serving us?

• What tensions are emerging now?

• What are we learning from using them?

The goal isn’t perfection.

It’s clarity.

Because clarity reduces friction.It speeds up decisions.It lowers anxiety.And it helps people move together.

How we help teams move from tension to clarity

At SVA, this is the kind of work we love to do alongside teams.

We help organizations name the tensions underneath recurring bottlenecks, conflicts, and difficult decisions. Together, we create practical tools — like even overs, aims and domains, fundraising principles, and strategy screens — that teams can actually use in real life.

And we don’t just hand over a document and disappear.

We help teams:

• facilitate the conversations

• make the hard decisions

• create actionable plans

• communicate changes clearly

• implement the work day-to-day

Sometimes that looks like a focused working session. Sometimes it’s ongoing strategic partnership and hands-on support. Sometimes it’s helping leadership teams move from overwhelm and ambiguity to clarity and action.

If your team is feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or pulled in too many directions, we’d love to help. Schedule a free conversation with SVA.

We’d be honored to work alongside you.

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