Izaak Reyes Ruiz, Author at Raza Development Fund

What is the Role of Hope in Community Development?

When I was eight years old, I looked forward to playing football. One day I was at Hermoso Park for our flag football practice when suddenly two young black men bolted through our practice field towards the back of the park. A cop car immediately drove onto the field and apprehended one of them. I remember looking around at our team of eight-year-olds and telling my coach, “I hope we can still keep playing.” My coach looked at me and said, “I hope this park can, one day, be safe enough for children to play football.” We never practiced at …

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Raza Development Fund (RDF) is the largest national, Latino-focused nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Driven by a mission to close wealth and opportunity gaps in Latino and other under-resourced communities across the United States, RDF provides responsible and attainable financial solutions to community-based organizations focused on health, education, affordable housing, climate resilience, homeownership, and entrepreneurship. RDF was founded in 1999 as a support organization to UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy nonprofit, formerly known as the National Council of La Raza. As a testament to its exceptional financial strength and impact, RDF stands out as one of the few CDFIs with a prestigious AA- S&P rating. Since its inception, RDF has invested more than $1.3 billion across 38 states, leveraging over $6 billion in additional capital.

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