Sale of Business: Mary Bayer and Leon Bresloff

Mary Bayer and Leon Bresloff are registered nurses who found their separate ways from Chicago to western Maine in 1971. They lived in Temple for more than 40 years before retiring to Fayette. They met while Leon was taking care of his first wife, who was dying from Hodgkin's lymphoma, and connected through a shared belief in the importance of a respectful death in a home environment. They explored ideas of patient-centered health care, ultimately building several long-term care facilities in Maine.

When the couple decided to sell their share of the nursing facilities, their advisor suggested they contact the Maine Community Foundation. They established a donoradvised fund, through which they support their interests, including local theater, public broadcasting, human rights, health, education, and the environment.

Mary and Leon believe in entrepreneurial giving. "We look at projects that need a little help to get started, and then can get on by themselves," says Leon. They have always understood that organizations require money to get their work done.

"The Maine Community Foundation tracks what we're doing and gives us feedback," Mary notes. Trust in MaineCF led to their decision to leave any balance in their donor-advised fund to the foundation's discretionary fund after their deaths. It's a partnership they appreciate.