Community engagement isn’t enough; you need to show your receipts to build trust among your stakeholders. Receipts include the tactics you take to ensure accountability.

Where does your funding come from? What are your accessibility guidelines? Are you taking immigrant status, mental health, and demographics into account? What are your political donations? All these pieces of information need to be shared with the affected community.

If you say that you are trying to reach a particular segment of the population, show how you’re doing it and report on results. Don’t just hold meetings or post ads and call it a day. There are no participation trophies in community projects!

Did you do your due diligence to collect feedback from and minimize harm to the affected community? Did you customize your strategy to align with the community’s needs and interests? Remember, no one looks good in a one-size-fits-all garment, so don’t rely upon a one-size-fit-alls approach to make your project happen.

If you want results, do more than making a statement. Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk.