Trust Interrupted: How Transitional Moments Reshape Organizational Trust in the Nonprofit Sector

Abstract

The Leadership Academy (“Academy”) is a national nonprofit organization that develops educational leaders committed to advancing transformational leadership in schools. As the organization entered a period of transition refreshing its strategic plan and navigating growing political polarization, questions of trust moved to the center. Despite years of investment in inclusive practices and strong relationships, staff continued to experience uncertainty about decision-making, communication, and the organization’s long-term direction. This raised an important question: How can organizational trust be strengthened and protected during moments of significant disruption? This project aims to better understand the state of trust at the Academy and to design strategies to preserve and build trust across the organization. While strategic planning provides the structure for the work, the focus is on trust itself. Over the course of a year, the project unfolds through four phases: • understanding the current conditions of trust • designing and redesigning systems and practices • engaging staff in shaping the organization’s future • putting long-term structures in place to preserve trust over time Key strategies include bringing together diverse staff groups to give input, creating clearer decision-making processes, offering regular updates on progress, and gathering feedback about how people were experiencing the changes. What emerged most clearly from this work is that trust does not exist equally across an organization. Instead, trust is layered, shaped by staff members’ roles, identities, experiences, tenure, longevity, and investment in the organization. This means the same process can build trust for some while eroding it for others, particularly when cultural differences and power dynamics go unaddressed. For the Academy, the path forward requires more than improved systems. It requires a deep commitment to cultural responsiveness and the recognition that trust-building must meet people where they are, honoring the varied histories and perspectives they bring. More broadly, this project offers a call to action for education organizations: In times of uncertainty, understanding and attending to the layers of trust within a diverse staff is not optional; it is the work.