Changemaker Strategies

Changemaker Strategies was established in 2008 by Tuti Scott.  ^{1 2}

Background

Changemaker Strategies, formerly known as “Imagine Philanthropy,” was established in 2008 by Tuti Scott. The firm operates on a theory of change that women who have played sports, founded companies, and are supported by peer cohorts have higher rates of success in political office, the C-suite, and leadership positions. The firm emphasizes building what it describes as an intentional and intersectional “sisterhood” among its community of changemakers. ^{1 2}

Changemaker Strategies claims to help organizations navigate growth, undergo leadership transitions, engage in succession planning, and manage strategic development. Its clients have included Equal Rights Advocates, Women’s Fund of Mississippi, Union Theological Seminary, Root Capital, ReflectUs, Women Moving Millions, Third Wave Fund, Athlete Ally, Jewish Women’s Funding Network, and the Equal Pay Today Campaign. ^{1 3}

Programs and Initiatives

As of 2026, Changemaker Strategies was facilitating the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Learning and Giving Circle, which was part of the foundation’s Equity Initiative established in 2019. The learning process led by Changemaker Strategies founder Tuti Scott and diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist Gwendolyn VanSant focuses on understanding critical race theory-aligned notions of equity, inclusion, and what it believes are systemic racism and implicit bias in philanthropic decision-making. The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation board provided seed funding to launch the Equity Initiative. ⁴

Scott also organizes Women and Money—Making Money Moves that Matter, which encourages philanthropists to target donations to support left-of-center agendas for women and girls. In 2019, Slingshot partnered with Scott to create Money, Power, and Gender: A Guide to Funding with a Gender Lens to discuss the intersection of philanthropy, so-called gender equity, and Jewish values. ⁵

Leadership

Tuti Scott is the founder and as of 2026 was the president of Changemaker Strategies. Scott sat on the Tides Foundation board for nine years, including time spent as board chair, before being selected as its interim CEO in September 2019, a position she held through 2020. During her 15-year tenure at the Women’s Sports Foundation, her team reportedly raised $70 million to support women’s leadership and equal access to sports. As of 2026, Scott was an advisory board member of Nia Impact Capital and Criterion Institute, and a partner of Invest for Better. From 2017 to 2019, Changemaker Strategies was also a lead consultant for Political Parity, a coalition of nonprofit organizations advancing left-of-center women in elected office. ^{6 7 8}

As of 2026, Gwendolyn VanSant was the equity and inclusion team lead at Changemaker Strategies. VanSant is a consultant who works at the intersection of what she characterizes as equity and inclusion, positive psychology, and strategy development. She is also the founding director and as of 2026 was the CEO of BRIDGE, a minority and women-run organization dedicated to cultural competence and left-of-center social-policy advocacy. ^{9 10}