Inclusive Conversations

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Facilitate Trust and Empathy

As we develop the capacity for empathy for one another, our ability to trust each other increases.

 

Some years ago, I was conducting research for a philanthropic organization that was interested in attracting more donors of color. In one impactful interview, an elderly Black woman in Florida summed up the issue of trust in this way: “Why are you interested in me and my money now. I don’t know you. We have never even broken bread together.” In other words, she did not trust the organization’s motives and pointed out in her own way that she did not have a relationship with them. Trust is a mandatory ingredient for inclusive conversations. Building trust across different dimensions of diversity is complex. ...