When Inside Edge partnered on a three-year clinical trial for a rare oncological disease with an especially high death rate for Black patients, we knew real change could only happen with the leadership of our Trustmakers.
In four cities, we teamed up with faith-based organizations and community leaders to co-create programs that felt real and relevant. These Trustmakers helped shape the educational program, invited their friends, neighbors, and colleagues, introduced Inside Edge at events, and made sure people felt welcome. And their role didn’t stop there—they stayed engaged afterward, answering questions, reinforcing key messages, and supporting follow-up conversations so families could make informed decisions with confidence.
Our Trustmakers were deeply committed because they knew this was a rare opportunity to talk about a cancer that has an outsized impact on their communities—and to do it in trusted spaces, with trusted voices. Because people were personally invited and welcomed by someone they knew and respected, a full 550 community members came. They left with knowledge, resources, and the comfort of knowing that they were part of something bigger.
The impact was clear. Sites supported by Trustmakers achieved 40% higher screening rates for the cancer than those without this community partnership. In the end, 69% of U.S. trial enrollees were from diverse backgrounds. Even more, clinical staff shared that the relationships built through Trustmakers for this trial are still helping to strengthen trust and increase access in these four communities—well beyond this particular program.