Meet Rachel Bailey!

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Meet (and friend!) Rachel Bailey, an Online Express, Raiser's Edge, RENXT, Blackbaud Merchant Services, and everydayhero user, with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.


Meet Rachel Bailey! This week's member spotlight shines on Raiser's Edge, RENXT, BBMS, everydayhero, and Online Express user, Rachel Bailey, with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. Rachel's Community Profile
Tell us about your family (fur babies count!) "My husband Sam and I have three crazy cats: Tak, Skokie, and Jujubee. I'm also really lucky that my immediate family live in the metro area so I see them frequently." Where do you live? "Westminster, Colorado." What do you like to do for fun? "I like to do yoga, watch movies, try new restaurants, and knit and crochet. I also enjoy reading and lead an Inclusivity Book Club at work. International travel is probably my biggest passion, though, and I can't wait to go to Argentina, Bolivia, and Nicaragua in 2018!" What’s a life achievement you are particularly proud of? "Professionally my biggest achievement has been project managing Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver's conversion from eTapestry to Raiser's Edge NXT. It was a big project but a fantastic opportunity to learn new things, gain leadership skills, and boost my self-confidence."
	What’s one memory that always makes you smile? "I went on my first Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip to Nicaragua in 2016 and it was a blast. The people are warm, resilient, funny, and determined. It was an honor to build alongside them and I can’t wait to go back in 2018!" What is one interesting fact about yourself most people don't know? "I speak Spanish."
Tell us about your organization "Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver is a homeownership program that builds and repairs affordable homes in partnership with low-income families. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. We are part of a global, nonprofit housing organization whose vision is a world where everyone has a decent, affordable place to live. Our local affiliate has served more than 800 families throughout our 38-year history in Denver." What’s a typical day like for you? "Like all of you I do my fair share of fire-fighting and attending meetings. But most of my day is spent popping around to peoples’ offices answering questions; writing procedural documents; coordinating with data entry staff and volunteers; and coming up with hair-brained ideas to increase efficiency. No day would be complete without using Query, Import, Pivot Reports, and VLOOKUP!" What’s the best part of your job? "Learning new things every day, working with amazing people, and supporting an incredible mission."
	What advice would you give someone starting out in the non-profit field? "When you first start a job, take time to participate in “the way things have always been done” and observe exactly what’s going on. Your first instinct may be to bulldoze everything and start from square one, but taking the participant observer approach will gain your colleagues’ trust, give you great insight into the organization’s culture, and spark ideas for improvements that your new tribe will actually adopt." What do you love about the Blackbaud Community? "It is SO great to be able to talk with colleagues with such a high level of expertise. I’m pretty new to the fundraising world and have only been Blackbaud Certified for two years, so being able to learn from the masters is priceless. This grasshopper really appreciates all of your great posts!"

Finally.. if you had a theme song when you walked into a room, what would it be? '“Supermodel (You Better Work)” because who doesn’t love a good RuPaul jam?"