The Principles of Trustworthiness Toolkit
“Trust and trustworthiness could be the issue of our decade. These principles are critical.”
— Community Representative, Sacramento, California
About the Toolkit
The Principles of Trustworthiness Toolkit is designed to help institutions earn the trust of their community by demonstrating they are worthy of it. Born from years of collaboration between the AAMC Center for Health Justice, academic health systems, and community partners from various sectors, the toolkit offers a structured, yet flexible approach to building genuine partnerships rooted in humility, accountability, and long-term commitment.
Use the four-phase cycle (Listen, Reflect, Act, Revisit) to move through the process of listening to community members to understand your institution's trustworthiness and taking concrete steps to become a more trustworthy partner. Click on each phase in the toolkit's menu to learn more.
“This wasn’t about whether communities trusted us—it was about whether we were acting in a way that deserved trust.”
— Community Representative, Sacramento, California
The Principles of Trustworthiness
The 10 Principles of Trustworthiness capture community voices speaking their truth to the powerful organizations that serve them. While each principle is distinct, they are intentionally interconnected and mutually reinforcing. This overlap reflects the reality that building trustworthiness requires a holistic, values-driven approach — one that evolves over time through consistent, community-informed practice.
1. The community is already educated; that’s why it doesn’t trust you.
Words matter. Be mindful of how you frame your relationship. It is not your job to teach to the gaps you assume the community has. Mistrust is a rational response to actual injustice. The community knows what it doesn’t know and will ask when it thinks you have answers it can trust. (This goes for “empowering” the community, too.)
2. You are not the only experts.
People closest to injustice are also those closest to the solutions to that injustice. (That is probably not you or your organization and, even if it is, there’s a power imbalance.) Listen to people in your community. They have deployed survival tactics and strategies for decades — centuries, even. Take notes. Co-develop. Co-lead. Share power.
3. Without action, your organizational pledge is only performance.
Walk the walk, please. Deploy resources. Coordinate across your organization. Hire someone to the C-suite and a network or coalition of experts to be responsible for transformation because transformation is not a one-person job. Be authentic. Don’t just say you’re committed to the goal of health equity; do the work to achieve it.
4. An office of community engagement is insufficient.
One full-time employee doesn’t cut it. Don't jam community engagement into your single office that is part-time dedicated to this work, either. Trustworthiness is not a “minority tax”; we are all responsible. This is systemwide, all-hands-on-deck work and, as such, should be acknowledged, incentivized, and promoted in material ways.
5. It doesn’t start or end with a community advisory board.
Running your thoughts by a group of self-appointed community leaders for a thumbs-up does not suffice. Take to the streets to get some unfiltered opinions. And then work together with the community to put that wisdom into the work. Make it clear to all you’ve done so, and explain the benefits accrued.
6. Diversity is more than skin deep.
We are diverse within our diversity. Do not rely solely on matching skin tones to make a difference. Think intersectionality and multiple identities, but remember: humility and honesty are the foundation for earning trust.
7. There’s more than one gay bar, one “Black church,” and one bodega in your community.
Not all gay people go to the club, and not all people of color go to the same church (or go at all). Know all of your community’s assets. Visit them. Meet the patrons. Meet the leaders. Break bread and share a meal — at their tables.
8. Show your work.
The community does not think you are perfect, and the past is always present. So be transparent about your limitations, your biases, your goals, your funding, and the outcomes that matter to you. Then ask the community to do the same. Identify the “win-win” for all parties. No secrets, no surprises.
9. If you’re gonna do it, take your time, do it right.
Demonstrating trustworthiness is not a one-and-done proposition. Keep at it. Be mindful. Remember, it takes a long time to build trust and only a split second to destroy it. Pace yourself.
10. The project may be over, but the work is not.
Do not drop in and drop out. Share results. Partner on next steps. Close the loop. The community is constant — it is not there only for the duration of your grant or initiative. Be there for the community, always, and it is more likely to want to be there for you.
Use the menu on the left to explore the step by-step process of implementing the principles of trustworthiness at your organization.
Submit Your Trustworthiness Resources
Have you developed a resource based on the Principles of Trustworthiness that other institutions could use? Contact us to learn more about how you can share it.