Eugene Frey’s own life experiences have played a major role in guiding his personal philanthropy. A large gift he made to a community foundation, for example, was influenced in large part by the fact that the foundation serves the city that was home to the company where he spent his entire career and made his fortune. The gift was Frey’s way of saying "thank you" to the city. "We want to advance the quality of life in that area," he says.

Frey, his wife Mary, and their three adult children give to charity in three basic ways: through their own family foundation, through donor advised funds at two different community foundations, and through direct donations to charities. But whichever giving vehicle they use, the Freys’ philanthropy falls into three general areas: education, human service and disability issues. "We focus on those things that are closest to us — the events in our lives," says Frey.

The Freys’ interest in human service, for example, stems from Mary Frey’s many years of volunteer work with a human service charity. Disability issues are close to the family’s heart because the Freys’ oldest son, Jim, is a paraplegic as the result of a car accident. And the family’s focus on education is rooted in Eugene Frey’s longtime involvement with a local educational institution, and in his belief that education is "paramount for people bettering their lives."

The Freys’ children are deeply involved in the running of the family’s foundation, as are their spouses. The family has found it a challenge to operate a foundation, and have sought outside consultants for help. "While it’s difficult to make money, it can be equally difficult and time-consuming to do a quality job of giving it away," Frey says. "But I think you have an obligation to do something when you have the means to do it."