The UnidosUS annual conference creates a meeting ground for participants to discuss and focus on pressing issues that Latinos face daily from all over the United States. Special guests can share their knowledge on topics that impact the Latino community every day. This year, I thought it would be great to add a spin to the blog I wrote last year by including thoughts from RDF staff. Latinos & Homeownership An impactful session during the conference was “The Big Bet: Latinos and Homeownership”, which discussed how gentrification has made housing unaffordable in once predominantly Latino neighborhoods, the gap in homeownership between …

At the Raza Development Fund, we pride ourselves in supporting our youth and education community. We know this support is more important than ever due to the pandemic. With the abrupt changes, social isolations and fears related to the virus, many students experienced learning loss or didn’t fully complete a grade level. That’s why we invested in an education initiative study, with the assistance of our partners at Capital One, to find the best ways of supporting our students, parents, and educators. Adrian Ruiz, RDF’s Deputy Chief Investment Officer, shares the study’s initial analysis with best practices for school in …

Raza Development Fund is proud to welcome Pauline Ugalde, RDF’s Investment Analyst, to our team of experts. She joined the Familia earlier this month with enthusiasm to support community development and expertise in data analytics. After recently receiving her master’s in public policy, and overcoming obstacles along the way, Paulina has spent the last couple of weeks diving in to learn all she can about RDF’s investment projects and our team. As she gets to know RDF, we decided to get to know her as well and share a glimpse into our newest expert with a Q&A. Where are you …

As conferences go, there is none like the UnidosUS Conference in bringing together some of the best and brightest which have been working toward the betterment of Latino communities nationwide. This year’s virtual conference will be held July 26-27 and is focused on the theme “Rebuild, Renew, Reimagine,” viewing this tumultuous time as a moment of opportunity and innovation toward an even better future than we had previously imagined possible before the pandemic. Knowledge & Community Leadership For this event, UnidosUS is bringing some of the strongest and most knowledgeable voices to share in their experiences on some of the …

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 …