Category: News

On October 18, 1976, the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation (JBHF) was officially incorporated. Fifty years later, the Foundation continues to connect the community’s generosity with the evolving needs of Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH), helping fund the spaces, equipment, and programs that support patient care.

“This milestone belongs to our entire community — our donors, volunteers, hospital and Foundation staff, physicians, partners, patients and supporters,” says Karen Dephoure, Foundation Board Chair. Every gift, large or small, has helped shape the hospital our community relies on today.

Over the past five decades, the Foundation has led major fundraising campaigns that have helped transform hospital care in Burlington and the surrounding communities, including:

Campaign for a Healthy Tomorrow, the Foundation’s first major capital campaign, launched in 1984 and raised $5 million by 1987, surpassing its original $3.5 million goal. The campaign funded renovations to the Emergency Department and Day Surgery, a new Intensive Care Unit, and state-of-the-art equipment, including the hospital’s first CAT scanner. It also laid the groundwork for the Foundation’s future fundraising efforts.

Our New Era, launched in 2012, supported the redevelopment and expansion of JBH, raising $65.2 million — more than $5 million above its original $60 million goal. The campaign helped fund the Michael Lee-Chin & Family Patient Tower, the Halton McMaster Family Health Centre and parking garage, and renovations to the original patient tower. At the time, it was the largest fundraising campaign in Burlington’s history, reflecting the extraordinary generosity of the community.

For All Minds, the Foundation’s current campaign, aims to raise $20 million supporting the redevelopment of JBH’s Mental Health and Addictions (MHA) program space to create therapeutic facilities that ensure a dignified, respectful, person-centred experience. The new space will offer a more person-centred and dignified environment for healing, featuring a six-bed Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, 23% more beds, private rooms with ensuite washrooms, a secure outdoor courtyard, and expanded spaces for social and recreational activities. Led by Campaign Co-Chairs Leon Denbok and Phil Davidson, the campaign received a lead gift of $5M from Michael and Laura Paletta in early 2024, and has reached over 90% of its $20M goal to date.  

As Burlington and the surrounding communities continue to grow, so do the healthcare needs of the region. The Foundation remains committed to helping JBH meet those needs and support exceptional care for generations to come.

“For 50 years, the Foundation has helped turn community generosity into meaningful impact for patients, families and healthcare teams,” says Ashley Davidson, JBHF President and CEO. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and we look forward to building on that legacy for generations to come.”

For more information about the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation and the For All Minds campaign, visit jbhfoundation.ca.

Thanks to the generous support of the community, the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation’s For All Minds Campaign has raised $18.1 million in support of the redevelopment and expansion of the Mental Health & Addictions unit at Joseph Brant Hospital.

“Our incredible donor community has come forward in a big way for this project, and we are blown away by the support,” said Ashley Davidson, President & CEO, Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation. “We know that mental health touches everyone’s lives, and we’re asking our community to help get us over the finish line with our fundraising. We have a chance to come together and make a real impact on the health and well-being of our community for generations to come.”

This campaign is supporting the redevelopment of JBH’s Mental Health and Addictions (MHA) program space to create therapeutic facilities that ensure a dignified, respectful, person-centred experience. Led by Campaign Co-Chairs Leon Denbok and Phil Davidson, the campaign received a lead gift of $5M from Michael and Laura Paletta in early 2024, and has reached over 90% of its $20M goal to date.

The three core elements of the redevelopment project include the relocation and expansion of the Inpatient Mental Health and Addictions Unit, with the addition of a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU); the relocation of some of the Outpatient Mental Health Unit; and the addition of a new Child and Youth Mental Health Day Hospital.

For more information about the For All Minds campaign and to donate, please visit forallminds.ca.

This fall, we are calling our donors to update them on what is happening at the hospital and to let them know how important they are to us.

Telefundraising also helps us raise funds for the hospital’s most urgent needs, including vital equipment and technology used every day throughout the hospital to save lives, but not covered by government funding.

Our telefundraising partner is Globalfaces.  Globalfaces employs a team of professional telefundraisers who undergo rigorous training to ensure they are well-informed about Joseph Brant Hospital, its programs, and its mission, vision, and values.

We trust Globalfaces, and we hope you will too.

FAQs

Why does Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation use Globalfaces to collect donations over the phone?

Telefundraising is a cost-effective way to reach more of our supporters and help to strengthen our relationship with them. We use Telefundraising to keep our donors informed about the hospital and to raise funds to purchase leading-edge equipment and technology that the hospital needs to ensure every patient receives exceptional care. 

Is it safe to give my banking information or credit card over the phone?

It is completely safe to provide information over the phone. Globalfaces’ telefundraisers follow PCI-compliant procedures to ensure your information remains confidential and safe.

Who should I contact for questions or concerns regarding the telefundraising program:

Email – Foundation@josephbranthospital.ca
Phone – 905-336-6499

Wow! It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since I first took on the role of President & CEO of Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation.

And what a year it’s been!

As I reflect on the last 12 months, two words immediately come to mind: passion and pride.

Wearing my new hat, I’ve had the chance to see and hear things in a new way. I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity. What I have always known, but is now clearer to me than ever, is just how passionate our community is about ensuring we have excellent healthcare available right here in Burlington.

Every gift we receive from our donors, every hour given by our volunteers, and every member of our care team that I am privileged to interact with shares a common thread – they demonstrate steadfast dedication to helping one another. I feel honoured to see this firsthand every day and to have the opportunity to get to know so many incredible people who are deeply passionate about helping our hospital be its very best.

I’ve also been able to chat with so many members of our community, and it’s been heartwarming and inspiring to hear the many, many stories of how our hospital has changed their lives.

From the beauty of the birth of a baby to a scary touch-and-go night spent in the Emergency Department, and to the hopeful ring of a bell to celebrate the end of cancer treatment to the gentle and dignified goodbye to a beloved parent, our hospital is here through it all. Each story I hear is different, but each story is told with a deep sense of pride and gratitude for the incredible physicians, nurses, and care teams who are here, day in and day out when our community needs them the most.

I always knew that our hospital was a special place, filled with special people who have the resources they need thanks in large part to the special community that supports healthcare close to home. My first year as President & CEO of JBHF has cemented this belief.

I feel more fortunate than ever to lead our outstanding Foundation team, working with our incredible Board and Hospital partner. I am inspired, energized and deeply resolved to reach new heights in our ability to inspire the passion and pride of our great community to advance healthcare in new and innovative ways. In many ways, it feels like we’re just getting started, and I could not be more excited for what’s to come.

We are pleased to share our 2024 Annual Donor Report, which highlights a few of the patient care moments and program successes at Joseph Brant Hospital over the past year.

These stories showcase how the lives of our patients and their families are directly impacted by the generosity of our donors, as well as stories of incredible ways our community came together this year in support of our hospital.

We hope these stories fill you with a sense of pride and accomplishment, for all you have made possible with your support.

The Chairmen Family Foundation, a private, Burlington-based charitable Foundation, has made a transformational gift of $3.5M to the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation’s For All Minds Campaign in support of the redevelopment and expansion of the Mental Health & Addictions Unit at Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH).

“Our family has long believed in the importance of having access to high-quality mental health and addictions care, right here in our community,” said a representative of the Chairmen Family Foundation. “We are proud to support this important initiative at Joseph Brant Hospital, a leader in community-based mental health and addictions care, and hope this gift inspires others to contribute in their own way.”

This gift is another step forward in the journey to redevelop JBH’s Mental Health and Addictions (MHA) program space to create therapeutic facilities that ensure a dignified, respectful, person-centred experience. The Government of Ontario approved the project in November 2024 and will make a significant impact on those who require timely and high-quality mental health and addictions care.

Mental illness affects all Canadians at some time either through their own experience, or that of a family member, friend or colleague. In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health illness, and by age 40, about 50% of the population will have had or be living with a mental illness.

The three core elements of the redevelopment project include a relocation and expansion of the Inpatient Mental Health and Addictions Unit with the addition of a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), a relocation of some of the Outpatient Mental Health Unit, and the addition of a new Child and Youth Mental Health Day Hospital.

“We are truly honoured and immensely grateful to have received this gift which will make a tremendous difference for our patients and their families,” said Ashley Davidson, Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation President & CEO. “This generous support will help us build state-of-the-art facilities, and provide faster and more accessible care in a comfortable setting, close to home.”

The For All Minds Campaign is committed to raising $20M in support of this essential project.

“This campaign will support JBH with achieving its vision to build a modern, person-centred facility that is purposefully designed to instill hope and support healing,” said Leon Denbok and Phil Davidson, Co-Chairs of the For All Minds Campaign Cabinet. “We are so grateful to the Chairmen Family Foundation, and all the donors to the For All Minds Campaign, for helping to ensure the safest and most dignified care will be available to patients.”

Click here to learn more information about the For All Minds Campaign.