Strategic Plan 

MISSION
To share the authentic history of the house, property, and people with our communities, connecting the past with today and tomorrow

VISION
Pursuing truths to impact the future

VALUES AND BELIEFS

• Undertaking the work with historical integrity 
• Seeking to bring in diverse voices and authentic interpretations 
• Learning and responding to community needs and interests
• Engaging with partners who share and support our commitment of learning from the past
• Working with the City of Trenton to preserve the National Historic Landmark known as The William Trent House
• Stewarding the furnishings and artifacts in the Trent House Association collection.

DEFINITIONS & PRINCIPLES

Authentic history connects information with experiences that put information into the human context and engage the learner in activities that use the senses and stimulate emotional as well as cognitive responses.

Authentic history encompasses the full range and complexity of human stories and seeks out stories that have not yet been told.

Authentic history tells the truth based on what we know from trustworthy sources, weeding out myths and romanticization of the past.

Authentic history models the search for and interpretation of reliable information and encourages questioning and research. 
 
By sharing the Trent House’s authentic history, we seek to:

• Connect deeply with the history and current experiences of groups we see as our current or potential communities
• Model understanding and celebration of commonalities and differences among these communities
• Encourage collaboration and partnership with these communities through a mutual interest in learning and sharing our complex history
• Be a place where members of these communities feel welcome to present and interpret their own stories 

 
STRATEGIC GOALS 

The strategic plan focuses on four goals:

• Become relevant to all our communities with effective programming and through collaboration with community partners
• Expand visibility with targeted marketing and by leveraging physical assets for community use
• Increase organizational effectiveness by adopting effective governance practices 
• Increase financial stability with revenue sufficient to support sustainable growth and meet mission-related needs

Our communities include any groups that we have or want to have the opportunity to impact by sharing our authentic history. 
These groups could be defined by geography (e.g., residents of the central NJ region), shared interests (e.g., in colonial life), connection to the history of our site (e.g., the Lenape tribal communities of NJ), or life experiences in common with other groups connected with our site (e.g., Eastern European and Italian immigrants of the 19th and 20th centuries and Central American immigrants of today).
We understand that some of these groups may not see themselves now as “our communities.”

Communities identified for priority action through 2026 include:

• African American Residents
• Spanish-speaking Residents
• Middle-High School Students in Trenton Public Schools