Organize the Rich Radio
Nerding out about the theory and practice of organizing the rich towards justice.
We share both interviews from Organize the Rich as well as season 1 of the podcast Movement Money with Allison Budschalow and Michael Gast.
Organize the Rich Radio is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions.
Subscribe to the Organize the Rich Substack at https://organizetherich.substack.com/
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Organize the Rich Radio
What's it like to give away $25 million? Interview with Katrina Schaffer
In this bonus double length episode, Michael interviews his dear friend and former client, Katrina Schaffer.
Katrina is part of the 4th generation of the family that owns the Hallmark corporation. Katrina’s family is quite wealthy. They have a large family office, with close to 30 employees, that manages their money.
In her lifetime, Katrina is expected to inherit around 94 million dollars, mostly in yearly distributions of around 1.3 million after taxes.
Since 2019, Katrina has moved more than 25 million dollars of her personal wealth to social justice organizing and power building efforts with her main priority areas being climate justice, electoral organizing and disability justice. Over 60% of the money she moved was to organizations, campaigns or individuals where there was no tax break for the donation.
Since recording this interview in the Spring of 2025, after 6 years of working intensively together, Michael transitioned out of his paid donor advisor role to take on the work with Organize the Rich fully.
This interview with Katrina is the story of one person, born into a wealthy family, trying to do it differently. In a family system setup to pass down massive amounts of wealth, generation after generation, Katrina has been attempting to move the money out of her control and into the hands of organizers and communities trying to build a more healthy, just and equitable world. As part of this process, she has been working towards the goal of ending her own dependence on inherited wealth. And trying to bring her family along with her in the process. Not lose them or reject them but get free together.
Listen in to learn more.
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To learn more about Organize the Rich and find us on Substack, YouTube or Instagram: https://linktr.ee/organizetherich
Organize the Rich Radio is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions.
