Founded in 1919 by a local women’s club, Guadalupe Centers began as a community resource focused on expanding access to education and healthcare in Kansas City. For more than a century, it has remained a vital force in the region, committed to supporting families and empowering individuals through a growing range of services. Over the years, Guadalupe Centers expanded into early childhood education, senior support, counseling services, workforce development, and essential family assistance programs.

About a decade ago, as demand for its charter schools surged, Guadalupe’s leadership identified a bold opportunity: a 19-acre former theological seminary on the city’s east side. It was the ideal location for a new elementary school campus.

But at the time, they lacked the financial scale and diversity of funding streams that traditional lenders typically require. Commercial banks—accustomed to evaluating success through profit margins—struggled to understand the value of a mission-driven organization.

RDF saw what others didn’t. Recognizing both the potential and long-term impact of the project, we stepped in with the flexible capital needed to acquire the property and begin renovations, bridging the gap between vision and execution, and providing Guadalupe Centers with the support it needed to move forward.

Today, that campus is home to Guadalupe Centers Elementary School, serving 700 students. Another portion of the property is being developed into workforce housing to help recruit and retain teachers working in the urban core.

Guadalupe Centers now operates the largest charter school system in Kansas City—and the second largest in Missouri—along with a comprehensive network of programs serving thousands each year. Since RDF’s investment, the organization has more than doubled its annual revenue to over $50 million, a testament to its continued growth and impact.

This wasn’t just a real estate transaction—it was an investment in an institution that’s been building opportunity in Kansas City for more than 100 years. RDF is proud to be a partner in that ongoing journey.