“It is important for all of us to appreciate where we come from and how that history has really shaped us in ways that we might not understand.” – Sonia Sotomayor  The long table is always filled with food from tortillas and chicken from the Ranch Market around the corner to share, to homemade sweet empanadas, chilis from a personal garden and other buffet style lunches in our cocina just like we would at home. We embrace and connect around the table in mixtures of Spanish, English and Spanglish. This is Raza Development Fund! We call ourselves a Familia, not …

What did you want to be when you grew up? How were you first introduced to that idea?   When we were children, most of us dreamed of careers we saw in movies and books. Those dreams tend to shift as we approach young adulthood. We gather information from our families, schools, mentors and local communities to determine paths that may seem more attainable for us. Unfortunately, for low-income and underserved communities what may seem “attainable” can be very limiting. That’s why it’s critical to create opportunities to expose our youth to a variety of options for their futures.   In a …

Everyone has a story to tell. RDF’s organizational chart includes short bios about each member of the Familia that list our professional experience while touching on small tidbits of our community service history. While working on this project, I was intrigued by a comment Catherine Andrade, RDF’s Sr. Loan Portfolio Specialist, shared in her bio “took paying it forward to the next level by helping a homeless man off the streets and reconnect with his family.” It’s one statement with a great story that shows Catherine’s heart of servantship. Hear how this unlikely friendship unfolded in a Q&A with Catherine. …

Raza Development Fund’s organizational chart is a great visual portrayal of the quantity and quality of professional experience RDF has to offer. But most importantly, it proves we are a Familia of servant leaders at heart. “We truly have something very special at RDF,” says Melissa McDonald, RDF’s Chief Operating Officer. “Thank you, to our founders (Tom & Mark) for giving us a solid foundation based on our founding principles, mission, and servant-leader culture.” This culture is truly apparent in our new organizational chart. Recently, I (as part of RDF’s Communications team) had the pleasure and privilege of working on …

She works behind the scenes helping to keep RDF steady in solid business management by making sure vendors get paid, among many tasks. Raza Development Fund’s staff accountant, Chantal Martinez joined the RDF Familia in January 2021 while we were fully remote. Now she enjoys the opportunity to greet her co-workers in the morning as she works at our new headquarters in South Phoenix in her now decorated workspace. Join us as we learn more about Chantal in this Q&A. Where are you from? I grew up in Juarez, Chihuahua, a small city in Mexico across the border from El Paso, …

“Shared leadership … is less like an orchestra, where the conductor is always in charge, and more like a jazz band, where leadership is passed around … depending on what the music demands at the moment and who feels most moved by the spirit to express the music.” – P. Schlechty This quote will sit in front of me every Tuesday as my cohort peers and I are encouraged to “Lead Thoughtfully.” I was recently accepted into Valle del Sol’s Hispanic Leadership Institute, a program that promotes the individual development of Hispanics for increased participation in leadership roles. The program started …

RDF celebrates Women’s History Month in March, a time to honor the female trailblazers whose strength and leadership created opportunities for the generations to come. As we recognize the past, we cheer on the female leaders of today who show resilience through adversity. This includes Esmeralda Espinoza, owner of Esmeralda Joyeria, an RDF Hope Fund grantee. Last October, Wells Fargo shared Esmeralda’s story of hope and determination to keep her business alive. As a single mom, Esmeralda ran with her passion and started her own jewelry business. Unfortunately, in late 2018 her storefront burned down. After losing everything, Esmeralda was …

  Raza Development Fund officially moved into our new headquarters in the heart of South Phoenix. For us, this was more than just a move, it brought us home to where our organization first began. Here, we can reconnect with our roots and serve the community where our capital is needed the most.   As we settle in, we want to send a huge thank you to all of the vendors who have helped make this happen. From the first moment of acquiring the former Dollar General property, to various stages of construction, adding the final beautifying elements to our new …

Raza Development Fund is proud to welcome Juan Camilo Quintana as RDF’s Credit Associate. He recently graduated with a bachelor’s in business management from Grand Canyon University and is now at RDF to provide support to the Small Business Initiatives and credit department. Our newest addition to the RDF Familia, and we’re excited to get to know Juan. Join us as we learn more about Juan in this Q&A. Where are you from? I am from a small neighborhood close to Bogota, Colombia. I lived there my whole life. I came to the US to go to college. I was …

The RDF Familia is proud to cheer on and reconnect with Christian Serrano, a former RDF intern. Christian recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University. Today, he is a full-time ESL instructor for Promise Arizona (PAZ), a nonprofit organization that now resides in RDF’s new headquarters. In his new position, Christian is leading classes right here in our building! Mentorship at RDF In 2018, Christian, then a sophomore in college, began an internship with RDF to explore his interests in communications. For two years, he …