Ruth Davison

A respected strategist and leader, Ruth has over 25 years’ experience of delivering growth, change and positive impact with and for charities and purpose-led organisations. 

Ruth built her career in fundraising, winning multiple awards for her innovation and results. At charities including Crisis, Friends of the Earth and Christian Aid, Ruth ran large fundraising departments, diversifying and growing income in every organisation she led. Ruth then built highly successful fundraising departments and programmes from scratch for two start up organisations - Canal & River Trust and Prince’s Trust International - before transitioning from fundraising to philanthropy.

Ruth joined Comic Relief to lead their global grant-making, social impact investing and advocacy. She was promoted to Interim Chief Executive and led the organisation through Covid-19. During this time Ruth not only increased Comic Relief’s income to over £100m in a single year for the first time in years, she also introduced the green (non-plastic) red nose and led their work on EDI and culture change that saw them root their grant-making in lived experience. Ruth’s career as a CEO continued as joined Refuge where she developed their first multi-year strategy, transformed their internal culture, secured vital new funds both through social impact investment and through new statutory sources as well as delivering significant policy change through advocacy and campaigning.

Ruth has served on the Boards of multiple major non-profit organisations including Oxfam GB and Greenpeace UK. She currently serves on the Board of the UK’s National Emergencies Trust, where she is the lead Trustee for fundraising.

After a year working in the private sector, leading global impact for The Conduit, Ruth now works across charities, grant-makers, family offices and purpose-led organisations, supporting them to increase their sustainability and impact. Ruth has led consultancy projects for a wide range of commercial and non-profit clients. 

Ruth has particular expertise and interest in issues of social and environmental justice and is a regular columnist on sustainability for New Food magazine and on leadership for the Directory of Social Change.