The Raza Development Fund invests in its staff and is committed to our individual growth and success across the organization. A couple weeks ago, our Communications team enjoyed an in-person team building retreat to learn about our individual and collective strengths and how to use them for growth. It was a time to take a step back and invest in our team, and in doing so, strengthen the overall organization. As we walked into our meeting space, we were met with the welcoming aromas of coffee and fruit set up with care so we could dive in and enjoy time …

Last week the Raza Development Fund was proud to sponsor and participate in the Latino Community Foundation’s ‘You Are Essential’ gala – a virtual event and fundraiser to honor essential workers who continue to show up for all of us. Our farmworkers, grocery store workers, first responders and more have all worked tirelessly during the pandemic to provide fresh food, healthcare and other necessities to communities across the country. Latinos make up 70 percent of essential workers in the U.S.! They’re our Familia – our siblings, parents, aunts, uncles and our cousins. As such, the Latino community has been disproportionately …

The Raza Development Fund Family is full of individuals who are passionate about supporting Latino and poor communities from our full-time staff to our interns. It’s an infectious value that motivates every employee to get more involved with projects that make a difference. And it’s a value that became ingrained in Anabel Maldonado and Mayra Vargas Rodriguez who held temporary positions within RDF’s Small Business Initiatives (SBI) team. Earlier this year as the SBI team worked hard to help as many small businesses with Paycheck Protection Program loans, Francisca Montoya, RDF’s Director of Strategic Community Initiatives, knew they needed extra …

During the pandemic, the Raza Development Fund took swift action to support small businesses through these turbulent economic times by launching the COVID-19 Hope Fund grants and becoming a qualified lender for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program loan. Through these programs, we have helped business owners pay their employees and keep their doors open. Last month, we hosted a series of Focus Groups, in-person group conversations following COVID-19 safety protocols, with our client grantees and loan recipients to gain a deeper understanding of how these programs impacted their business and the types of resources we could further …

The Raza Development Fund is proud to have exceptional leaders and expertise in its Familia. For example, Sima Thakkar, RDF’s Senior Investment Associate, was recently accepted to the Caren S. Franzini Fellowship established by the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) to recognize outstanding women in development finance and provide them with an opportunity to further excel as leaders in the industry. The program was established in 2017 to recognize the leadership of Caren Franzini, who dedicated her career to the advancement of development finance. Each year, four women work with CDFA through a six-month program (May – November) collaborating on …

What do desks, chairs, and tables mean? To Granada East Elementary school in Phoenix, they are a blessing. As we moved out of our previous Downtown Phoenix office, the Raza Development Fund was proud to donate furniture to Granada East, a school dedicated to serving students in the 95% low socioeconomic population, over 80% of which are Hispanic students. The donation fell in line with the RDF mission and values: giving to those who need it most and knowing it would benefit education in our community bringing pride and joy to teachers and students. Instead of folding tables, their staff …

At RDF, we often share our amount of financial investments and technical assistance to communities, but the true impact lies in the faces and names, the real stories behind those big numbers. It’s the people our RDF Family work so hard for and are passionate about serving. And sometimes, our impact is brought full circle with individuals like Sandra Vazquez Salas. Sandra is a recipient of the Los Medicos Scholarship presented by the Hispanic Women’s Corporation; a UnidosUS affiliate, and an organization RDF has supported for many years. After four successful years of medical school, Sandra is now on her …

The Desert Mission Health Center in the Phoenix Sunnyslope neighborhood began serving the community’s needs giving medical aid and food to the needy 94 years ago and has continued to provide services through many decades.  It became part of Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH) in 2015, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).  Its FQHC designation demonstrates that NOAH strives to and meets the needs of an underserved area with a great reception from the community. Currently located in a 6,600 square-foot renovated former church in the Sunnyslope community, the Desert Mission Health Center has served generations of families with …

2020 was unlike any other year because it would capture a moment in time amidst one of history’s most unprecedented pandemics.  People, families, and entire communities were suffering through sickness, loss of their loved ones and their suffering businesses meant a loss of income for their families.   When I first joined the RDF Communications team in February, my first assigned project was to work on RDF’s 2020 Annual Report, and from the beginning, I knew this report would be very different. An Annual Report is essentially an investment report highlighting an organization’s mission and impact and provides a comprehensive review …