5 Reasons to Join RDF’s Community Mural Painting Day
We’re hosting a paint day at our office! You’re invited to join us on Saturday, October 7th to paint a mural on our property wall from 8am – 2pm. Early this year, Raza Development Fund received a South-Central Extension/ Downtown Hub Art grant from Valley Metro aimed to enrich the community through arts and culturally based projects while adding colorful artistry along the upcoming light rail extension area. Now it’s time to bring this art to life! Local artist, Maria Madrid Reed, known for her recent work for the City of Goodyear and City of Tolleson’s new Civic Center, has …
Raza Development Fund Cheers on the Amor Collective in Peoria
Head down to Peoria’s Park West shopping center and be ready to fall in love as you visit the Amor Collective. As you walk in, you’ll be embraced by the aromas of coffee, candles and sweet candy produced with excitement and creativity by Latina entrepreneurs. This small business incubator is the culmination of Founder’s Stephanie Vasquez’s rally cry to empower fellow Latina small business leaders. And our Raza Development Fund Familia is beyond thrilled to see it come to fruition. Last year, Stephanie reached out to us with an innovative vision. While leading her nonprofit organization Empowering Latina Leaders …
Meet Natalia Rodriguez-Hilt
Raza Development Fund’s newest team member, Natalia Rodriguez-Hilt looks forward to connecting with UnidosUS Affiliates next month at the 2023 UnidosUS Annual Conference in Chicago. She serves as the Sr. Director of UnidosUS Affiliate Support to lead programs and efforts to strengthen the organizational resilience and capacity of affiliates. Get to know her in this Q&A. Where are you from? I am a mix of a few places. I was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala. My dad’s side of the family is Colombian (from Espinal, Colombia) and my mom’s side is Southern Illinois. I grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. What …
Raza Development Fund Names Antonio (Tony) Lopez Chief Financial Officer
PHOENIX, AZ.— Raza Development Fund (RDF) is proud to name Antonio (Tony) Lopez as Chief Financial Officer, effective July 1. A part of the RDF team for over 10 years, Lopez will step up from his current position as Deputy CFO. Lopez will succeed Rodrigo Vela who has served as CFO since 2012. “Tony brings extensive corporate and nonprofit financial experience. We are excited to have him in this role as we look to deepen our work and expand the impact of our organization,” said Annie Donovan, RDF’s President & CEO. Tony Lopez joined RDF in 2012. He has previously …
Guest Blog: Give Your Small Business a Spring Cleaning with these 3 Financial Tips
By Don Pearson, Wells Fargo Regional Banking Executive Spring cleaning season is upon us and it’s not just about scrubbing baseboards and washing windows, but an important time for small business owners to get organized financially. From reviewing business expenses to managing cash flow and revising business plans, every business owner can benefit from a financial refresh. Below are three financial tips to help you stay on track this season. Review your business expenses As a small business owner, you’re likely responsible for filing your taxes on a quarterly basis. If you don’t already do this, consider establishing a separate …
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS AND RAZA DEVELOPMENT FUND ANNOUNCE $3.2 MILLION INVESTMENT TO HELP LATINO-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES
Raza Development Fund Intends to Invest $1 Million for Loans Within Charter’s California Footprint Commitment Increases Spectrum Community Investment Loan Fund Investments to $27 million Including Committed Loan Capital, Capacity Grant Donations, and In-kind Contributions STAMFORD, CT – March 16, 2022 – Charter Communications, Inc., which operates the Spectrum brand, and Raza Development Fund (RDF), the largest Latino focused Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), today announced a $3.2 million capital commitment by Charter’s Spectrum Community Investment Loan Fund to provide loans to Latino-owned local businesses in financially underserved areas of California, Texas, Ohio, and Florida. RDF intends to use at …
Raza Development Fund and Woodforest National Bank Team Up to Create New Joint Financing Program to Help Charter Schools Provide Quality Education Across the U.S.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Feb. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Raza Development Fund (RDF), the largest national Latino-focused Community Development Financial Institution, recently collaborated with Woodforest National Bank® (Woodforest) to develop an exclusive lending program focused on bridge financing of new or expanded facilities for existing charter school operators within Woodforest’s 17 state footprint. “This collaboration presents a tremendous opportunity for RDF to support more charter schools dedicated to providing a high-quality education. As a mission-based lender, RDF is committed to seeking ways in which more dollars can be reinvested into the classroom and support programming, while ensuring families have access to dignified facilities,” said Adrian …
Guest Blog: 3 Investments that will Give your Small Business a Boost
By Don Pearson, Wells Fargo Regional Banking Executive Sometimes you have to spend money to make money and although that may feel like a risky proposition for a small business owner, there are areas where you can get a lot of bang for your buck. Here are three investments you should consider to give your small business a boost: Technology Upgrading or investing in technology can be an area that will enhance your business and create efficiencies. This category can be broad so consider what makes the most sense for your business. Whether it’s adding logistics software to help manage …
Rooted School Vancouver Opens Enrollment for SW Washington’s First Charter Public High School; Announces Executive Director and $1.35M in Funding for Fall 2023 Opening
New school bridges inequality gaps for Vancouver’s underserved students with local workforce demands January 18, 2023–Vancouver, Wash.– Rooted School Vancouver today announced that it has opened enrollment for its Fall 2023 class of 9th graders at SW Washington’s first ever public charter high school. Widely recognized as one of the most innovative high school models in the U.S., Rooted School’s vision is to rapidly close America’s wealth and inequality gap by connecting underserved and talented high school graduates with a college acceptance in one hand, and a job opportunity in the other. The school’s curriculum gives students a proactive role …
Affiliate Support Program: Increasing resiliency at the UnidosUS Fall Convening
In 2021, Raza Development Fund kicked off an Affiliate Support Program (ASP) aimed at helping UnidosUS affiliate non-profit organizations navigate pandemic challenges and increase their capacity for growth. This program was led by Eric Salazar, RDF’s late Familia member who served as our Director of UnidosUS Affiliated Investments. After he passed away unexpectedly in June of 2022, RDF’s partners at the San Juan Diego Institute (SJDI), who had worked closely with Eric providing technical assistance, stepped up to ensure ASP’s impactful work continued. In this capacity, Dr. Ryan Hanning, SJDI Fellow and ASP technical assistance provider, attended last month’s UnidosUS …
