Bricks & Bone is a collaborative consultancy for communications, development, and media. We help nonprofits, businesses, authors, and artists meet their goals, share their stories, or build something new. We believe in order to get to authenticity and results, you need to keep going down to the bone, and from there you can build a strong foundation brick by brick, make strategic choices and identify your real priorities. Our collaborative consulting approach provides a unique alternative to the high-cost, low-yield, one-size-fits-all style of other agencies.
About Bricks & Bone
How We Work Together
Founded by communication and nonprofit veterans, Rachel Fulkerson and Dawn Thomsen, Bricks & Bone offers a full menu of services. For each assignment we take on, either Rachel or Dawn serves as the project lead, offering direct, senior-level strategy and account management. We are lean and responsive with the ability to see the big picture, build partnerships, and manage the fine details and implementation. Whether serving as in-house Director of Communications and Development for a nonprofit or building a website for an entrepreneur, all of our work includes strong strategic and tactical thinking and effective project management.
Rachel Fulkerson
Partner | Consultant
Rachel offers more than 20 years of leadership experience in nonprofit management, communications, development and event management. She holds a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Publishing Certification from the University of Denver. Having served as the Founding Director of The Slate literary magazine, the Program and Membership Director at Friends of the Hennepin County Library, and the Operations and Advancement Director at Graywolf Press, she is passionate about her work and dedicated to helping others achieve their strategic objectives. Working with hundreds of world-class artists and authors over her career, she has served on the boards of Grand Marais Arts Colony, Rain Taxi (producers of Twin Cities Book Festival) and Minnesota Association of Library Friends. She offers expertise in fundraising campaigns, operations, communications, creative event development, and marketing strategies.
Dawn Thomsen
Partner | Consultant
Dawn is a nationally recognized nonprofit communications and fundraising strategist with more than 20 years of experience. The founding Chief Outreach Officer of the Child Mind Institute, former Venture Director at Criterion Ventures, and first Brand Manager for Planned Parenthood, she has extensive experience with social entrepreneurship, economic development, health care, and feminism. She is an alumnus of Grinnell College. With keen insight, dynamic planning, and savvy execution, she has generated proven results for dozens of nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and artists. Along the way, she has partnered with some of our best-known brands and personalities, from Bloomingdale’s to the NY Yankees. Dawn offers expertise in facilitation, branding, communications, program and campaign development, board/partner engagement, digital media, and PR.
What We Have in Common
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01. Fanatical obsession…
with creating crisp, affordable, and effective communications.
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02. Mutual contempt…
for the ordinary.
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03. Unique ability…
to get up to speed fast, see what others don’t, understand the big picture, and manage the fine details.
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04. Burning desire…
to put our talents to good use by helping individuals and organizations clarify their identities, increase their visibility, raise money, and achieve their missions.