Carol Bernstein Ferry (July 29, 1924 – June 9, 2001) was a social change philanthropist and board member of DJB Foundation.
[1] Bernstein graduated from Wells College, and then she moved to Manhattan, where she worked as a writer, editor, and secretary for various publishing companies, including McGraw-Hill.
[2] In 1953, she married Daniel Bernstein, a stockbroker who had inherited a large sum of money upon his father's death.
[2] Although she grew up in a rather apolitical family, Ms. Bernstein became increasingly radical by adopting many of her husband's views about left-wing politics.
In an interview conducted in the 1990s, Ferry speaks of her first marriage, presenting a picture of a lovely New York housewife who was largely uneducated in the ways of the world.
with a little hasty arithmetic, which took me only an hour and a half, I realized that in order to stay even and not have an increase or decrease, I had to give away two thousand dollars a day for ever .
Having been diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ms. Bernstein Ferry prepared her own obituary, a call to the world to allow physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill, wrote a longer letter explaining her choices, and swallowed a handful of sleeping pills in the presence of her family members.
"[1] The many paid obituaries published in national newspapers upon her death show that, for many people, she did succeed in making a difference.
The idea behind this style of giving was that a large sum of money can "corrupt and distort" the goals of an organization, but all it takes to get something started or to keep it going is a few hundred dollars.
[1] Throughout the five years of foundation giving, the four philanthropists focused on human rights, economic recovery, and the anti-war effort.
In an oral history, Carol states that this was because it is typically difficult for organizations to raise money for basic expenses instead of major projects.
[1] The Ferrys said that they often spent time skimming newspaper articles for noteworthy organizations or individuals who needed money, and they would often write checks without being asked.
After Ping's death, Mrs. Bernstein Ferry continued to support organizations such as the Advocacy Institute; the Agape Foundation, which sought for non-violent social change; the Albany, NY Friends Foundation; the Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal; the Westchester Rutman Special Olympics; and the Alternatives to Violence Project.