Sarah Ruff

Sarah Ruff is the Head of development at Polka Theatre, leading a small but high performing fundraising team. She completed Polka’s £9m capital campaign during a volatile enviroment when the project experienced significant uplifts due to the pandemic. Alongside securing several major gifts for Polka, she delivers an annual fundraising strategy to meet ambitious revenue targets.  

Sarah brings a breadth of knowledge and experience from diverse employers and clients, including Tamasha, Border Crossings, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, British Council and Battersea Arts Centre. She has worked for two Catalyst Consortiums exploring strategies for partnership fundraising and data sharing for smaller arts organisations.

Sarah holds a Masters from Goldsmiths in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (as the Bell Scholarship recipient) and was among the first cohort of Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy Fellows in 2014. She has also benefited from leadership training as a Fellow on Battersea Arts Centre’s & People Creates Independents programme and Beam’s transnational Orange and Green Skills for Sustainable Futures Programme.