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 …

“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 …

Count On Us! For over 20 years, Raza Development Fund has proudly provided financial capital to a Latino-serving organizations and Latino-owned small businesses because we know Latinos are a great investment. As we partner with UnidosUS on the Count On Us AZ campaign to share the contributions of Latinos in Arizona, we are highlighting four of RDF’s emerging Latino servant leaders. While we all share a passion for creating better opportunities and equitable access for our Latino and low-income communities across the country, these four are prime examples of the talent and dedication that make up our Familia.     Amanda …

Count On Us! This month and through October, we not only celebrate our heritage and Latino leaders for Hispanic Heritage Month, but we also have a special message: Arizona counts on Latinos!   As a support corporation of UnidosUS, Raza Development Fund is proud to partner in the Count On Us AZ campaign. Together, along with Arizona’s UnidosUS affiliate nonprofit organizations, we’ll raise awareness of Latinos’ contributions to Arizona’s economy and culture while inspiring action to remove barriers that Latinos and others face—in employment, education, housing, and health care.  For RDF, this campaign is a perfect alignment with our work …

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 …

Hello Familia! My name is Natalya Merida-Brito, and I am a Senior at Moon Valley High School in Arizona. I am currently working with the Communications department. I have been a part of RDF for the past three years, and overall, my experience has been excellent.  I always feel included and loved by RDF’s family, and I am happy to be part of la Familia I am an Arizona native with strong Hispanic roots that lead to Mexico City and Guerrero, Mexico. I am interested in pursuing a career in the medical field to help my Latino community because I …

By Melissa McDonald, RDF’s Chief Operating Officer My dearest Jefe (Tom Espinoza), I was given the great honor to write Raza Development Fund Familia’s farewell message as you “Step Up” as co-founder and President and CEO of RDF for the past 23+ years. You must know that I have struggled with this message. How in the world do I convey what you mean to us and the great respect and gratitude we all have for being blessed to serve with you? Jefe, you are an icon, a true servant-leader, and an Architect of Hope. You have shown the world what is …

By Natalya Merida, RDF’s Communications Department Intern This year marks my third summer being in RDF’s Familia, and this year I had the privilege of attending UnidosUS 2022 Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas. While this was my third conference; it was my first time attending in-person. Each year I have had the opportunity to write about my perspective of these conference sessions on the RDF blog. I am excited to take a deep dive into all the outstanding topics that UnidosUS had in store for this year’s conference revolving around the theme “Siempre Adelante – Our Quest for Equity.” …

RDF has the great pleasure of welcoming Christian Smith to our Familia as a summer intern. Christian is now a sophomore at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. He was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He grew up alongside two brothers and sisters, so he always had someone by his side in his childhood. Christian’s hard work radiates so much so that Juan Camilo Quintana, Credit Associate, said, “When I first meet Christian, he was quiet at first, but as soon as I got to know him more, I realized he was a very friendly and …