Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation

Coats For Kids has been keeping kids warm since 2009! (Courtesy, Doyle & Ogden Inc.)

By WKTV Staff

Community members can vote to double the Make More Happen Award amount (Courtesy photo)

Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance have awarded Doyle & Ogden Inc. a 2024 Make More Happen Award for its volunteerism with Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to unite in transforming our world.

The award includes an initial donation of $5,000 for Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation and its Coats for Kids program, which can be doubled to $10,000 just by having community supporters vote online.

The Doyle & Ogden Inc. and Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation community story will be highlighted on the official Make More Happen microsite. Supporters can vote to help the team reach their donation goal.

If the featured story receives at least 500 votes, the $5,000 donation will be raised to $10,000.

A legacy of warmth and care

The Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation was established in 2005 as a tribute to the founder of Doyle & Ogden, Del J. Doyle and his wife Jean, to continue their legacy of philanthropy and volunteerism.

As a part of this organization, Doyle & Ogden created the Coats for Kids program in 2009, providing winter coats to elementary children whose families are unable to afford one.

Doubling the $5,000 donation will help hundreds of children in need (Courtesy, Doyle & Ogden Inc.)

West Michigan winters are brutal, and a large percentage of children in need walk to school. Without a warm winter coat, students do not attend school. Subsequently, they do not have breakfast and lunch that day or receive their sack supper from Kids’ Food Basket. Without proper nutrition, students then fall behind in their education.

The $10,000 donation will allow the organization to supply an estimated 500 children with winter coats and expand the number of schools benefiting from this program.

“We are honored and incredibly grateful for being awarded the 2024 Make More Happen Award so we can continue to help our community and give back even more to local schools,” said Mike Doyle, agency owner and president of Doyle & Ogden. “The Coats for Kids program has had a significant impact in the Grand Rapids area and are thrilled to double the donation with community support.”

Expanding donations

In 2023, a total of 1,202 new winter coats were distributed among 18 schools and organizations in need. This year marks 15 years of the Coats for Kids program, and the agency is delivering more coats than ever.

Coats for Kids is providing more and more coats to kids in need each year (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

The $10,000 donation is vital in continuing to provide winter coats to those in need.

The entire team at Doyle & Ogden assists with the Coats for Kids program. The agency holds internal fundraisers and solicits donations from partners. Several staff members have knitted scarves and hats for each coat donated.

“Recognizing independent agents’ dedication to their communities and nonprofit partners is what the Make More Happen Awards is all about,” said Lisa Hartt, Safeco Insurance Midwest Region Senior Territory Manager. “Doyle & Ogden is a shining example of the amazing work independent agents do in Michigan, and we hope sharing inspiring stories motivates others to do the same.”

Apply for the Make More Happen Award

Throughout 2024, Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance will select up to 37 independent agents nationwide for a Make More Happen Award. They will donate up to $370,000 to the nonprofits they support.

Agencies became eligible for the award by submitting an application and photos demonstrating their commitment to a specific nonprofit.

The Del J. and Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation was awarded a $10,000 donation from Doyle & Ogden Insurance through the 2017 Safeco Insurance® Make More Happen Award program. (L to R) – Celine Sommerdyke, Safeco Insurance Territory Manager; Mike Doyle, Doyle & Ogden Insurance President; Marie Smith, Doyle & Ogden Insurance Accounting Manager; and Sara Rouse, Doyle & Ogden Insurance Commercial Lines CSA.

Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation will receive a $10,000 donation from Doyle & Ogden Insurance in celebration of the agency earning a 2017 Safeco Insurance® Make More Happen Award for demonstrating extraordinary volunteerism to make positive change happen in their community. The donation will assist with the non-profit’s mission to unite in transforming our world.

Doyle & Ogden Insurance originally received $5,000 for Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation through a submission process, and this year, Safeco offered agents an additional opportunity to help the causes they care about most. Sara Rouse, an independent agent for Doyle & Ogden Insurance, and Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation had a story about positive community change featured on Safeco.com. Together, they were able to raise an additional $5,000 by their story being shared on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn at least 50 times.

“We appreciate the community support to raise the additional funds and we are honored to be able to provide Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation with an even larger donation,” said Richard Smith, Safeco Insurance Midwest Region territory manager. “Safeco’s Make More Happen Awards recognize agents who are committed to making a difference in their local communities, and we want to encourage them and citizens in their area to directly support local charities.”

Read their full story and more about the awards program at www.safeco.com/make-more-happen/winners.

Safeco’s Make More Happen Awards focus on non-profits in the areas of health and safety, education and civil service. Doyle & Ogden Insurance was originally selected for a Make More Happen Award based on a photo and application demonstrating its commitment to Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation, which serves all of Michigan with a specific focus on Grand Rapids.

The $10,000 donation awarded to the Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation will enable them to purchase over 600 coats this winter. This allows the organization to broaden its scope and donate to additional elementary schools in the greater Grand Rapids area.

“It brings our team pure joy to see the excitement in the kids’ eyes when the coats are delivered,” said Rouse. “Coats for Kids is able to give back to a community that we all live and work in.”

Throughout 2017, Safeco will select a total of 23 independent agents for the awards and donate up to $230,000 to the charitable organizations they support. The Make More Happen Awards are a part of Safeco Insurance’s Agent Giving Program.

A family-owned and run business started in 1958 by Del J. Doyle and Bob Ogden selling insurance to individuals based in Grand Rapids. With locations in Grand Rapids and Rockford, Doyle & Ogden has more than 30 licensed professionals serving their customer base to help people make better informed insurance decisions, making the company a single source solution for any insurance need. The company is currently run by Michael K. Doyle, the eleventh of twelve children in Del and Jean’s family, and is preceded in his time as president by his brother John W. Doyle.