Staff Spotlight: Julia Schafer

Julia Schafer, former Senior Engagement Associate with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, recently joined the Rapp Strategies team as an Account Executive. Julia brings a strong background in relationship building, public speaking, community engagement, and strategic communications.

“One of the best parts of my previous work in nonprofits was getting to wear so many hats: fundraiser, volunteer coordinator, social media manager, event planner, you name it. I knew I wanted my next opportunity to be in an environment that was dynamic, fast-paced, and intellectually stimulating. Rapp Strategies is all of that and more, so I’m excited to join the team as we tackle new challenges and opportunities for our clients.”

Prior to joining Rapp Strategies, Julia worked in volunteer and donor development at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, where she managed the volunteer engagement, event and program sponsorships, and donations from large Twin Cities companies and faith communities. She is passionate about creating strong relationships with partners and community members to create a more equitable Minnesota. She also supervised Twin Cities Habitat’s community volunteer programs, internal Community Centric Fundraising efforts, and inter-departmental construction schedules and processes. She was part of three consecutive years of record-breaking fundraising, helping raise over $16 million in 2023 alone.

Before joining Habitat’s development team, Julia served as an AmeriCorps service member through Twin Cities Habitat, where she facilitated volunteers on the construction site. In addition to carpentry skills, working in nonprofit construction is a daily lesson in problem-solving, creativity, and humility. Julia is excited to bring these talents to Rapp Strategies.

“I love to learn new things and take on new challenges. And I can tell you already that the team at Rapp Strategies is constantly learning and working hard. They say in carpentry ‘measure twice, cut once’, or more plainly, to check your work before you finish it. You won’t find a firm as committed to details, editing, and embracing the strategic planning process as Rapp Strategies. They would make great carpenters!”

What motivated you to pursue a career in strategic communications?

A drive to explore multiple industries and create high-impact communications. Given my early career spent in fundraising and volunteer management, I have a lot of experience working with external partners on mission and goal alignment and using strong relational and communication skills to tell a compelling story. After four years spent fundraising, I was excited to explore other projects, organizations, and leaders that I could use these skills to support.

What is your favorite professional experience?

My first development job at Twin Cities Habitat included planning and executing a volunteer summit for over 300 retiree volunteers. These volunteers are crucial to Habitat’s volunteer program and hold the most institutional history — many of them have been retired and volunteering longer than I have been alive. It was fulfilling to develop the programming, script, and logistics of the event to ensure these supporters felt updated and appreciated, while also aligning them with the organization’s growth and equity initiatives. It felt great to see the impact that the event had on volunteer engagement and how the sense of community grew.

What is one habit that makes you more successful?

Actively seeking out and listening to new music. I think a lot of us struggle to feel inspired in mundane or challenging moments, and I find that creating an evolving soundtrack to my life helps me stay energized, driven, and creative. Experiencing new art can make even the dreariest Monday a bit more motivating.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An interior designer. My love for art, furniture, fabrics, and color has always been a significant part of who I am. I am a dedicated maximalist and thrift store shopper who can’t wait to own her own home.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment was contributing to the development of MappingIslamophobia.org as a college student. This website tracks and documents incidents of Islamophobia nationwide, serving as a crucial resource for researchers, journalists, and policymakers. I played a key role in building the platform, which collects data on various forms of Islamophobic incidents and presents them through online mapping tools. By highlighting the prevalence and impact of Islamophobia, MappingIslamophobia.org aims to raise awareness and promote dialogue about anti-Muslim hate. Through this work I got to present at academic conferences, write a chapter in a digital humanities textbook, and developed a passion for advocacy through impactful, accessible communication to the public.

What is one thing about you few people know?

I have a twin sister! We are fraternal twins but have had a few spooky moments of twinship: we both have matching scars on our chins from childhood injuries, which we got just a month apart from each other. We once convinced a close friend that we were psychically linked through some well-educated guesses masquerading as “mind-reading.” She lives in Madison, WI, and we see each other as much as possible.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Two tips come to mind. First: Never be the smartest person in the room. Second, in the great words of Ferris Bueller: Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

What is one piece of wisdom you would give your younger self?

Slow down! Sprinting through life makes it hard to relish the moments that are the most impactful. The speed with which you give people what they want (homework assignment, work deliverable, a text back) is not a reflection of how much you care or how smart you are. Take your time, be proud of your work, and save a little time to be unserious.

When you’re not working, what can you be found doing?

I am an amateur watercolor painter, a mid-distance runner (with goals to do a half-marathon!), and I play video games, watch TV, and love to go to the movie theater with friends.

What is the best place you’ve traveled to and why?

In college I spent four months living in Bhutan, a small country nestled in the Himalayas between India and China. I had never heard of it until I saw a pamphlet in the study abroad offices. I spent the semester talking to monks, hiking in the mountains, and doing forestry research.

Bhutan is an amazing country: It’s governed dually between a constitutional monarchy and a Buddhist monastic body. It has 70% forest cover and government-protected natural resources. They measure their annual economic development through “Gross National Happiness”, a metric no other country uses. They had only just achieved full electrification the year I was there, but with no Wi-Fi, so I was unreachable by social media or text. Bliss!