People of Perley - Delphine Haslé

Delphine Haslé recognized as a business trailblazer by the BYAs

Discover how Perley Health Foundation's Delphine Haslé connects donors with causes that fuel innovation in lives of Seniors and Veterans through the power of philanthropy

When Delphine Haslé, Executive Director and Chief Development Officer of the Perley Health Foundation, was awarded Enterprise Leader at the Businesswoman of the Year Awards last month, she was happy to step into the spotlight for a brief moment.

While the impact is more important than awards for Haslé, trailblazers like her also know you need to toot your own horn from time to time.

Haslé's decades-long career in philanthropy was born in Florida when she was an oceanographer, shortly before she and her husband moved to Ottawa 25 years ago. 

Since then, she's been honing her leadership instincts by mastering the art of being present with her team, while singing their praises in the community.

That's why her Perley Health colleagues weren't surprised when Haslé was lauded for the kind of exceptional leadership that drives innovation and makes a difference in her field and community.

“I'm proud of what I accomplished,” said Haslé. “And I want emerging leaders to see someone and say, ‘We can do it.'”

Team Building: It Takes a Village

When you're a French oceanographer without an ocean in sight, you need a new way to apply your skills.

The answer for Haslé came from watching her mother care for her grandmother when she was living with Alzheimer's. It inspired her to apply her fundraising skills to helping seniors. 

Her personal experience led Haslé to make moves as a leader that set her apart, like gaining the trust of donors, volunteers, leaders, and front-line staff. She knew it was crucial to nurture and build strong relationships with the clinical team and residents to tell potential donors what they really needed.

“From day one, I knew how important it was to have a great relationship with Akos,” she said, referring to Akos Hoffer, CEO. “I knew that, ‘Together, we can inspire more donors by building trust'.”

Cultivating a consistent presence created the bedrock her team needed when COVID hit in 2020. Instinctively, Haslé knew the trust they built must hold for the sake of the seniors and Veterans they support. Which is why she and her team went to the office five days a week throughout the pandemic. 

“I felt strongly in my gut that we needed to show we're part of the team. Even if we're not providing care, we're here for you,” she said. “It was scary at times, but it was the right thing to do.”

Working through such a big challenge as a team only made the Perley Health Foundation's commitment to innovation stronger. And the fact is fueling innovative care cannot happen without the Foundation, since the government is only mandated to fund adequate care. 

“It's part of our DNA to always find a better way, to be innovative,” said Haslé.

How Donors Fuel Innovation: the Bridging Generations campaign

One of the most important outcomes of Perley's innovation is staying ahead of the curve. The Centre of Excellence's groundbreaking work on wound care is just one example. 

It's also why they keep their eye trained on the challenges ahead.

“The number of seniors who will need care is going to double in 10 years,” said Haslé. And they fully intend to provide care that allows future residents to live life to the fullest.

So when Haslé tours prospective donors around the village — one of her favourite things to do — it will soon include an intergenerational program. “To truly build a village, you need to include all generations,” she said. 

That's why the Perley Health Foundation is launching the $2 million Bridging Generations campaign. The funds will support the work they're doing to create a childcare and early education centre to help foster intergenerational connections between children, seniors, and Veterans. And they've partnered with Andrew Fleck Children's Services to make it happen.

The centre will give Veterans and seniors more opportunities to find a renewed purpose and connection by sharing activities with the children like storytelling, crafts, and meals. For the little ones, being doted on by kind grand-friends will give them empathy and confidence. 

The program will also provide accessible childcare for staff, making Perley Health a great place for young professionals to work.

Construction of the 49-spot program serving infants to preschoolers starts in the new year, and is expected to welcome children late 2025 or early 2026.

Haslé loves that the program will create opportunities for daily, meaningful interactions — the kind screen time simply can't provide — whether it's a resident reading a story in the reading nook, or teaching the little ones how to bake cookies in the learning kitchen. 

“Everyone remembers baking cookies in the kitchen with grandma,” she said. “It's those little interactions that make Perley a village where everyone lives life to the fullest,” she added. 

The Bridging Generations campaign launched on November 20th.

If you'd like to learn more about how you can contribute to Perley Health's latest opportunity to invest in quality of life for seniors, Veterans and children, click here.

 

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“It's part of our (Perley Health's) DNA to always find a better way, to be innovative.” - Delphine Haslé, Executive Director & Chief Development Officer