He began volunteering with organizations such as Mama’s Kitchen, Special Delivery San Diego, and Uptown Community Service Center. His focus eventually turned to the San Diego Community College District after meeting with then-Vice Chancellor Lynn Neault, who introduced him to the San Diego Promise program.
He has since donated or pledged a total of more than $1.5 million to the tuition-free San Diego Promise Program and the recently established Ready2Work initiative, the latter of which ensures students completing their training for a healthcare career are no longer held back by costly licensing and testing fees. A $1-million commitment announced in fall 2025 marks the largest contribution of its kind in SDCCD history.
“The inability to pay for a licensing exam should not be an impediment to getting a job that you are eminently qualified for,” said Frey, emphasizing the benefit to the larger community. Licensing exams alone can amount to nearly $500 per person on average, with some paying more than twice that. By removing the financial barrier, students are more quickly able to enter their intended field.
Frey says that the vital role community colleges play in uplifting all students drives his philanthropy.
“There are far more students enrolled at community colleges than at four-year colleges and universities, yet community colleges receive only a fraction of the funding,” Frey said. “People assume a community college education is cost free, but even though tuition is sometimes waived, transportation isn’t free, housing isn’t free, books and various fees aren’t free. As a consequence, a large number of community college students, many of whom are struggling single parents or living in their car, are really being challenged financially.”
SDCCD Chancellor Gregory Smith praised Frey’s impact: “Roger’s generosity and vision, his ability to see the transformative effect he could have, is remarkable, and the Ready2Work program is just the latest example of how philanthropy can change outcomes.
Frey credits his upbringing in greater Detroit with instilling his drive to elevate others.
“My mother was always involved in working for nonprofit organizations,” he said. “She found it very rewarding, so I think I probably picked it up from her.”
A motivating factor in his decision to retire in his early 50s was a desire to spend ample time paying it forward. He applies the same analytical skills he used at JPMorgan Chase, and at Fuji Bank of Japan before that, to evaluate the potential impacts of his philanthropic investments.
“When you meet these students, you realize how hard they’ve worked to get where they are,” Frey said. “They deserve this just based on merit alone. I was at a recent nursing program graduation at San Diego City College and a parent came up to thank me. I told her, ‘Don’t thank me, thank your child. They did all the work.’ ”