Spearheading the Justice Money Power Movement
Tuti Scott
Born in a rural town and shaped by both adversity and resilience, my pronouns are lesbian feminist! Growing up with family challenges and economic hardship, I found strength in my mother’s optimism and playfulness. My values of community and creativity, shaped by those early experiences, have fueled my passion for justice and equity and guided me throughout my life.
Basketball gave me my first taste of belonging, leadership, and purpose. As a point guard, I learned to unite diverse voices, inspire action, and lead with conviction. These skills became the foundation of my approach to leadership—whether with teams, in the boardroom, or within investment communities.
I am a gender avenger, living at the intersection of money, women+, and power. My life’s purpose has been about carving paths for gender justice in sports, philanthropy, and leadership. I have spent my career promoting giving and investing in women+ as a strategy for humanity’s survival and moving capital in alignment with one’s values. I lead with my heart and my values, advising gender-focused funds and facilitating philanthropic movements.
My survival and thriving through cancer and multiple heart surgeries bring a sense of urgency and deep inner knowing to my life and work.
I am a lifelong learner and point guard who has been engaged in the embodied fierceness that is women’s basketball since it was first televised in 1975.
“I approach making change at the individual, cultural, and systemic level. I continually ask myself, what is the highest and best use of my skills and talents to be of service to the world and my clients.”
I am a facilitator, coach, and a servant leader who loves coaching high achievers and teams working on the front lines of social change through my firm, Changemaker Strategies. I have worked with dozens of feminists on their philanthropic leadership journeys, including Geena Davis, Julie Foudy, Serene Jones, and Billie Jean King. I have been an interim CEO twice, a certified fundraiser for 15 years, a strategist for multiple coalitions and networks, and I wrote two guides: Giving with a Gender Lens and Moving Money for Impact: Investing with a Gender Lens.
I have advised Women Moving Millions since its inception, facilitated multiple cohorts and conferences for the Women’s Funding Network and its member funds, and served in executive management roles for national social justice organizations. I coach leaders, write on women's sports and values-aligned money moves, and facilitate workshops—currently focused on activating money with an equity and justice lens, with the Freedom School for Philanthropy being the gold medal standard curriculum.
Building on my 30-year career in women’s leadership, Title IX protections, and strategic philanthropic consulting, I am now focused on engaging people in social justice philanthropy and investing. I have written a gender lens giving guide for Slingshot’s community and a gender lens investing guide with the Women’s Funding Network and Tides.
At the Women’s Sports Foundation, my team raised $70 million for equal access to sports for women and girls. I served on the board of Tides for a decade, including five years in board leadership overseeing the acceleration of the organization's assets and impact. I am an Invest for Better partner, an Advisory Board member for Nia Impact Capital, a member of the financial imagination committee for Criterion Institute, and the producer of the “Women & Money” community.
TESTIMONIES FROM CLIENTS AND AUDIENCE MEMBERS:
“I love all of your connection to sport and movement to energize women and bring action, wellness and a ‘can do spirit’ to their aura AND our perspective of them.”
“I feel so inspired by you and your ability to press on and accomplish great forward motion for women to break free from the patriarchy.”
“Tuti is fun, engaging, and always thought provoking. You might think of her as the Ellen DeGeneres of women’s philanthropy and the Ann Richards of social justice.”