Building Partnerships …Building Communities

The Raza Development Fund, Inc. ("RDF") is a support corporation of the National Council of La Raza, ("NCLR"), and was established in 1998 as the community development lending arm for NCLR.

The mission of RDF's Hope Fund is to provide flexible but high-quality loans, along with technical assistance, to entities that provide services and opportunities to low-income Latino families, and is consistent and complimentary to the mission of NCLR, which is to reduce poverty and discrimination while improving life opportunities for Latinos.

Since then, RDF has become the largest Latino Community Development Financial Institution ("CDFI") in the United States.VISION
Sustained relationships are developed with community and investment partners in order to provide greater personal, professional, and economic opportunities for underserved Latino families and individuals.


MISSION

RDF provides capital, technical assistance, and training to stimulate opportunities for underserved Latinos by strengthening the capacity of our community development partners.


VALUES

Integrity – We affirm the necessity for high ethical and moral standards in fulfilling our mission. We understand that our success is directly related to maintaining these standards in our interactions with all clients and partner organizations.

Honesty – The highest measure of long-term impact can only be realized when services provided reflect honest evaluation and dialogue. We take responsibility for engaging in and inviting open and honest communication with our clients and partners in order to provide the level and intensity of services that are most needed.

Respect – We respect and have compassion for every individual and family regardless of their circumstance or stage of life. Community development is a proven and invaluable method of creating greater opportunity for enriching the lives of many Latino individuals and families.

Trust – We strive to develop mutual trust with our clients and partners. We accept that trust must also be earned. We understand that without trust relationships, the vision and mission of our organization are vulnerable.

Transparency – Service to our clients must bear close scrutiny. We require transparency in our relationships with partner organizations, while fulfilling our obligation to maintain confidentiality.

Accountability – We believe in making commitments to our clients and fulfilling those commitments to the best of our ability. We require individual and collective accountability within our organization and among our partner organizations.

Dignity – We value the intrinsic worth of every individual with whom we interact and commit to treating our clients, partners, and colleagues with dignity.

Professionalism – We insist upon giving our best effort and strive to be respectful and forthright as well as fair and compassionate. We assume responsibility for continuing our individual professional development as an essential expression of organizational professionalism.