Support and Service

When the state of Illinois went two years without passing a budget between 2015 and 2017, it sent shockwaves through the nonprofit sector. Payments for state contracts were delayed—or worse, never arrived. Organizations that depended on state funding were forced to shut down programs, lay off staff, or close their doors entirely.

At Mujeres, we felt the strain immediately. Three separate furlough periods devastated both our services and our team. We had a line of credit from our bank, but it wasn’t enough to cover the growing gaps in funding. We needed help.

So, we reached out to RDF. Understanding exactly what was at stake, they provided us with an additional line of credit—one that became a lifeline. That support gave us the financial stability to keep our programs running. At the time, there were several parent counseling programs in Spanish and English across Chicago. Today, we’re the only one left because we had the resources to survive the storm.

It wasn’t the first time RDF had stood by us. More than 20 years ago, their financing allowed us to purchase and renovate our headquarters in Chicago, giving us the space to deepen our impact.

Looking back, our story is one of resilience and partnership. RDF helped us grow, and when crisis struck, they helped us stay strong.

And that impact has been profound. As the longest-standing Latina-led organization in the country, Mujeres has been a pillar of support for families for more than 50 years. Our work began in 1973, helping runaway youth, many of whom were fleeing homes affected by domestic violence. That mission grew into what we do today—offering crisis support, counseling, therapy and court advocacy for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, along with leaderships workshops to empower Latinas. Over the past five decades, we’ve changed the lives of more than 40,000 women and their families—and we’re still growing.

Looking back, our story is one of resilience and partnership. RDF helped us grow, and when a crisis struck, they helped us stay strong. Mujeres turns 52 this year, and that kind of longevity doesn’t happen without allies. RDF has been a great one.  

San Ysidro sits right at the San Diego/Tijuana border, where 70,000 vehicles cross every day, idling for hours and polluting the air. The impact has been devastating. Our community experiences some of the worst air pollution in the entire state of California, leading to serious health concerns. When Casa Familiar, a nonprofit that’s been a cornerstone of support for local families for decades, set out to create a master plan for addressing our community’s needs, we knew we couldn’t just focus on affordable housing and economic opportunity—we had to prioritize health and climate resiliency.

That vision led us to La Semilla. This one-of-a-kind project is transforming a vacant lot in the heart of San Ysidro into a multi-use center and environmental hub. More than just a building, La Semilla will be a space for wellness, sustainability, and community empowerment. It will provide residents with support during power outages and climate emergencies, while also offering greenhouse space, organic community gardens, and workshops on climate resiliency. There will be charging stations for electric vehicles and a shared electric bike program—all aimed at helping our community adapt to the environmental challenges we face daily.\

More than just a building, La Semilla will be a space for wellness, sustainability, and community empowerment

Because La Semilla is a first-of-its-kind project, we encountered skepticism at first. But RDF saw our vision early on. They provided us with early funding that allowed us to complete critical predevelopment work, a major step in proving our concept was viable.

That support helped us unlock an $8.5 million award from the state, fully funding the building’s construction. And when we needed a bridge loan to keep things moving while waiting for state funds to arrive, RDF stepped up with financing. When a trusted partner like RDF invests in a project, it sends a signal to other funders. Money follows money, and RDF’s belief in La Semilla helped open the door for those additional resources.

We broke ground just a few months ago, but we’re already planning our next major initiative: a 103-unit affordable housing development through our community land trust.  La Semilla had to come first, though because true stability in communities like ours requires more than just housing. Health and environmental resiliency must be at the foundation of everything we build.

We just needed someone to see that, to believe in our potential and be willing to take a risk on us. RDF did. And because of that, La Semilla is no longer just an idea. It’s becoming a reality.

I founded Enterprising Latinas to help women take control of their futures—whether through career training or starting their own businesses. Our purpose is simple: help women discover who they are, where they want to go, and then equip them with the tools to get there. That’s why we’re enterprising.

We launched in 2014 in Wimauma, Florida, a rural community about 40 minutes outside Tampa. For generations, it’s been home to Latino farmworkers, but rapid development has changed everything. Farmland is disappearing, housing prices are soaring, and long-time residents are being pushed out. It’s the kind of place where opportunities are scarce unless you have a degree or specialized skills.

For our first five years, we operated out of a rented space at another local nonprofit. Then, in 2019, they told us they needed the space back—we had just six months to find a new home. We were in crisis. There was no commercial space for rent in Wimauma. Our only option was to buy a building, but with an annual budget of just $120,000, that seemed impossible.

Still, I took a leap. That summer, at the UnidosUS conference, I approached someone from RDF and told them our story. I laid it all out: This is who we are, this is what's happening. I need to buy a building — and I have no money.” To my surprise, they didn’t hesitate. They said, “This is exactly why we exist. To support organizations like yours.” 

Within one week, I had a letter of interest. And five months later, we closed on the property that would become our permanent home—a space that is now a community hub for Wimauma. RDF took a chance when no one else would. No one. It was a major game changer for us.

Today, we serve about 500 women a year with workforce training, business development support, technical assistance, and career coaching. We’ve helped launch more than 120 businesses—and even created a microloan fund with RDF’s support to help women access the capital they need to succeed.

I credit so much of our success to RDF—not just for the loan, but for what it represented. Their belief in us raised our profile, gave us credibility, and helped us build deeper connections in Tampa and UnidosUS. To this day, I don’t just see RDF as our lender; I see them as a true partner in our work. And that has made all the difference.

Marin County, California, is often seen as an affluent, predominantly white community. But what many people don’t realize is that nearly 20% of the population is Latino, and many of those families are low-income. For more than 40 years, Canal Alliance has been a vital resource for Latino residents in San Rafael, providing social services and support.

When I became CEO in 2016, I knew we could do more. Our mission is to break the generational cycle of poverty, and the best way to do that is through community development. Gentrification and displacement were already threatening the families we serve, and while we had been working to preserve affordable housing by buying and converting existing units, we faced a major risk ourselves—we were renting our own space. If we wanted to be a true force for change, we needed long-term stability. That meant securing our headquarters.

At first, buying our own building seemed out of reach. An angel donor had generously given us $5 million, but the building we wanted cost $6.8 million—and it needed extensive renovations. Once we factored in acquisition and construction costs, the total project ballooned to $14 million. It felt impossible.

But RDF made it possible.

They helped us navigate loans, structure New Markets Tax Credits, and connect with consultants who laid out all our options. With their support, we purchased the building in 2023 and moved in a year later. The impact was immediate—not only did we secure our future, but we also strengthened our financial standing. Owning this asset transformed our balance sheet and freed us from the uncertainty of rent hikes.

The impact was immediate—not only did we secure our future, but we also strengthened our financial standing. Owning this asset transformed our balance sheet and freed us from the uncertainty of rent hikes.

Beyond the financial benefits, this building has allowed us to expand our programs, serve more families, and launch new initiatives. With more space and better facilities, we can do more than ever before. But perhaps just as important, this building makes a statement:

Latinos are part of Marin County. We belong here. And we’re here to stay.

And our work with RDF is just getting started. In 2022, I was  accepted into RDF’s Tommy Espinoza Fellowship for housing developers, a program that comes with grant funding. We’ve used those funds to buy a nine-unit building, which we’ll convert into affordable housing.

RDF has become a key partner in our mission to strengthen this community, and I know the partnership will only continue to grow. 

Something remarkable is happening in Lawrence, Massachusetts, a city just north of Boston with a rich industrial past. Once a powerhouse of the textile industry, Lawrence thrived for decades as its famous mills fueled the local economy. But by the mid-20th century, as manufacturing declined and mills shut down, the city faced widespread job loss and economic hardship. For years, vacant buildings and disinvestment threatened to define its future.

But today, Lawrence is making a comeback. New homes, thriving businesses, and fresh opportunities are reshaping the city. At Lawrence Community Works (LCW), we’ve been at the heart of this transformation, creating 230 units of affordable housing, building vibrant community spaces, and developing playgrounds where families can thrive.

Now, we’re taking that vision even further with Dyeworks, a $20 million redevelopment project that will transform an old textile mill into a full-service commercial neighborhood center, one designed by the community, for the community. When we started planning Dyeworks, we went straight to the people who live in the neighborhood and asked: What do you need?

They wanted access to fresh food, so we’re bringing in a supermarket. They needed better healthcare options, so we’re building an 8,000-square-foot health center. They wanted safe, positive spaces for kids, so we’re moving in our own youth program, which focuses on performing arts and technology. This is about more than just renovating a building—it’s about creating a hub of opportunity that will serve Lawrence for generations to come.

Bring a vision this bold to life takes creative financing. We’ve worked with RDF on several projects over the years, so when we started talking about Dyeworks, we knew they’d be a great partner. And they were: RDF helped us secure more than $10 million in new market tax credits, a key piece of funding that makes this project possible.

While Lawrence has transformed over the past two decades, it has remained a deeply Latino city, rich in culture and community. Today, the city pulses with new energy as young professionals—many of whom left for college with their families' support—return to build their futures here. The mills that once powered Lawrence’s economy are thriving again, but in a new way. They are no longer just factories; they have become hubs for jobs, education, healthcare, and opportunity.

This is what real community development looks like. And RDF understood that from the start.

CLUES is the largest Latino-led nonprofit in Minnesota, dedicated since 1981 to expanding access to economic opportunity, healthcare and well-being while also building up our culture. In 2005, we purchased our own building on the east side of St. Paul, establishing a headquarters that also houses the Mexican consulate office. 

But by the time I came on as president in 2012, we had outgrown our space. Our programs were thriving, and we were bursting at the seams. When an opportunity arose to purchase the property next door so that we could expand, we were intrigued — but also a little scared. I was still new to the organization, and with a budget deficit from the previous year, the board was understandably nervous about taking on a major financial commitment. 

I knew of RDF from my previous work in the fundraising world so when I ran into Tommy Espinoza at a social gathering I reached out and asked for help. He immediately said, “We’re here for you.”

RDF’s team met with our board and walked us through the New Markets Tax Credit program, helping us understand how it worked and what we needed to do to prepare for funding. It was a big learning curve, but RDF supported us every step of the way.

Our goal was to create a true community center, a place where the people walk in and feel like they belong. And today, they do.

Thanks to RDF financing and a three-year capital campaign, we purchased the property next door, demolished the existing structure, and doubled our space. The expansion allowed us to add classrooms for education and job training, a commercial kitchen for community events, and open spaces for community meetings, health clinics or our weekly food shelf pop-ups.

We also built a teen tech center to provide technology education and an art gallery to showcase the works of Latino artists. When we opened our new space in 2019, it felt like a dream come true. Our goal was to create a true community center, a place where the people walk in and feel like they belong. And today, they do. This expansion isn’t just a building, it’s a landmark. A place where opportunity, culture, and community come together. 

RDF provided so much more than just financing and technical assistance—they helped elevate our standing in the community. People see what we’ve accomplished here, and they believe in our ability to do even more.