Gerry Doyle, executive consultant with Investors Group Inc. in the community of Nepean in Ottawa, can’t remember a time when charity work wasn’t a big part of his life.
Although the causes that Doyle, 57, champions have changed since he was a young boy helping out at his school or church, giving to others is ingrained. He has contributed his considerable financial and administrative skills to many charitable organizations and tapped into a vast network of contacts to raise funds. But one of Doyle’s most significant gifts was the gift of life itself, when he donated one of his kidneys in 2005 to his cousin, Kim Aston, who was suffering kidney failure.
“There was no tax receipt and I had to pay for my own parking,” he jokes. “I didn’t tell my cousin when I was investigating the idea with my doctor. But once I was satisfied my nose wasn’t going to fall off if I lost a kidney, I stepped forward.”
Today, Aston enjoys good health. And Doyle, for his part, hasn’t noticed any changes due to having one less kidney. The Kidney Foundation of Canada has become one of his important causes, and he is the chairman of the foundation’s upcoming 50th anniversary gala to be held in May at the Ottawa Convention Centre.
“I like to be involved in projects in which I can have a direct impact and I can see that I am making a difference,” Doyle says. “I don’t want to be sitting up in the bleachers, I want to be down on the bench.”
Inspiring others
An unexpected consequence of his decision to donate a kidney was the impact it had on other healthy people. His colleague, Heather Duncan, a financial consultant at the same Investors Group location, was inspired to donate a kidney to her cousin in Scotland. Doyle, remembering his own nervousness and doubts, also makes himself available to talk to other people who might be considering a similar decision.
“I don’t do things to inspire others, but that often happens,” he says. “It’s like the ripples behind a boat. The boat doesn’t move to make ripples, but they happen.”
In 2013, Doyle received the Herbert Carnegie Award of Excellence, given annually to one of the 4,600 Investors Group consultants across Canada who have contributed extraordinary service to their community, outstanding business excellence and personalized client service. Doyle has served as a volunteer and leader of eight professional organizations and as a board member or chair for nine organizations.
In addition to the Kidney Foundation, Doyle has been a major fundraiser for such diverse organizations as the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, the Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the Leitrim Minor Hockey Association and the Blessed Sacrament Church.
He also gives free financial planning and debt-management advice to financially distressed individuals and families in his community. In 2011, he was the recipient of the Order of St. George for outstanding community service.
Focusing in on children
“I want to make a difference, whatever I touch,” Doyle says. “And once I’ve made a difference, I like to move on and do it again somewhere else. I’m not a one-cause trumpeter.”
Many of his charitable endeavours focus on children, as Doyle believes the right kind of help early on can set the course for a rewarding life. Among his endeavours, he has been an enthusiastic fundraiser for many children’s charities, including the Children’s Treatment Centre, Canadian Institute of Child Health and Children’s Aid Foundation of Ottawa.
“After 35 years in business, I have a reasonably sized Rolodex of names,” Doyle says. “I know who to call for support and when and how to approach them.”
One of the activities Doyle finds most rewarding is his work with the Dare to Dream bursary program sponsored by the Children’s Aid Foundation of Ottawa, which provides Crown wards with bursaries for post-secondary education. With the guidance and support of Children’s Aid caseworkers, candidate students apply to continue their education, which they otherwise couldn’t possibly afford, Doyle says. As board chairman, he leads in the vetting of applications and the selection process. About 60 recipients are chosen each year.
A major turning point
“Many of these young people have endured some painful experiences and been victims of abuse, and some don’t have a vision of what to do once the financial support from Children’s Aid stops at age 18,” Doyle says. “It’s an important turning point for [these children]. Some have gone on to law school, others become hairdressers and many have gone into social work.”
Doyle also is involved in organizing events to raise money for the Children’s Aid Foundation, including a Ski For Kids Day at Mont Sainte Marie in Quebec and a World Trivia Night in Ottawa that attracts more than 1,000 participants.
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