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Charles And Phyllis M Frias Charitable Trust

Annual Giving
$5.0M
Grant Range
$75K - $2.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5,000,000 (2024)
  • Success Rate: N/A (invitation/pre-selected organizations only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $75,000 - $2,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Southern Nevada (Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye counties)

Contact Details

The Charles and Phyllis M. Frias Charitable Trust does not provide public contact information as they do not accept unsolicited applications.

Trustees:

  • John H. Mowbray, Attorney at Law, Spencer Fane, LLC
  • Jack Hanifan, Tax and Trust Attorney

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Overview

The Charles and Phyllis M. Frias Charitable Trust (EIN: 82-3338279) was established in 2016 following the death of Phyllis Frias to continue the philanthropic legacy of Charles and Phyllis Frias, who built Nevada's largest transportation company from a five-cab operation. With total assets of $43 million, the trust distributes approximately $5 million annually to pre-selected charitable organizations focused on education and youth development in Southern Nevada. Since approximately 2017, the trust has given more than $13.5 million to support these causes, including transformative gifts such as a $9 million property donation to Girl Scouts and a $2 million shopping center gift for a STEAM education center. The trust is particularly noted for its Charles and Phyllis Frias Legacy Scholarship program, which has invested over $4.2 million in 42 college students, providing up to $100,000 per student over four years.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Major Organizational Grants:

  • Grant range: $75,000 - $2,000,000
  • Median grant size: $538,000 (2024)
  • Application method: Invitation only/pre-selected organizations

Charles and Phyllis Frias Legacy Scholarship:

  • Five annual scholarships of $25,000 per year
  • Renewable for four years (total $100,000 per recipient)
  • Application method: Open application through Public Education Foundation
  • Application period: Opens annually with deadlines typically in late January/early February

Priority Areas

The trust focuses exclusively on:

  • Education: College scholarships, educational infrastructure, school support
  • Youth Development: Programs serving children and young people
  • Southern Nevada Community: Strong preference for Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, and Nye counties
  • Underserved Populations: Organizations supporting disadvantaged youth, homeless students, and first-generation college students

Recent Major Grant Recipients (2023-2024)

  • Clark County Public Education Foundation: $1,700,000
  • Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada: $825,000 (plus $9 million property donation in 2018)
  • Project 150 (homeless youth support): $250,000
  • Mesquite Works (STEAM Center): $120,000 (plus $2 million property donation in 2021)
  • Nevada Rural Housing: Four annual grants
  • Bishop Gorman High School: Undisclosed amount

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside Southern Nevada
  • Programs unrelated to education or youth development
  • General operating support for large, well-funded institutions
  • Individual requests outside the formal scholarship program

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • John H. Mowbray: Attorney at Law at Spencer Fane, LLC. Serves as co-trustee managing the trust's philanthropic investments.
  • Jack Hanifan: Tax and trust attorney serving as co-trustee.

The trustees maintain the philosophy established by Charles and Phyllis Frias: focusing on transformative investments in education and youth while honoring the couple's commitment to the Southern Nevada community they called home since 1958.

About the Founders: Charles and Phyllis Frias arrived in Las Vegas in 1958 with minimal resources. Charles began as a taxi driver with ABC Union Cab Company and by 1962 owned the company. He expanded to operate five taxi companies (ACE, ANLV, Union, Vegas Western, and Virgin Valley), building the largest transportation company in Nevada. Hand-in-hand with their business success, the couple donated millions to support children, education, and underserved community members before Charles died in 2006 and Phyllis in 2016.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply - Organizational Grants

This trust does not accept unsolicited applications for organizational grants. The foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to organizations with which they have established relationships or have identified through their network.

How to Apply - Scholarship Program

The Charles and Phyllis Frias Legacy Scholarship does accept open applications through the Public Education Foundation:

Eligibility:

  • High school seniors or current college students
  • Residing in Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, or Nye County, Nevada
  • GPA between 2.0 and 3.6
  • Planning to attend or currently attending a four-year college/university full-time
  • Demonstrating financial need

Application Requirements:

  • Complete application through Public Education Foundation's online portal (thepef.academicworks.com)
  • 350-word essay about adversity experienced during high school career
  • Application deadline: Typically late January/early February

Scholarship Maintenance:

  • Recipients must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA
  • Must remain enrolled full-time
  • Scholarship renewable annually for up to four years

Getting on Their Radar (for Organizational Grants)

While the trust does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations seeking future consideration may note:

Trust's Known Networks:

  • Public Education Foundation partnerships
  • Southern Nevada youth-serving organizations
  • Regional education institutions (UNLV, UNR, CSN, Nevada State University)
  • Community development organizations in rural Nevada counties

Trust's Demonstrated Interests:

  • Transformative, capital-level investments (property donations, major infrastructure)
  • Multi-year commitments to proven programs
  • Organizations serving disadvantaged youth and first-generation students
  • Projects with lasting community impact

Given the trust's pattern of making large, strategic investments in select organizations, prospective grantees would likely need to be introduced through existing grantee relationships or Southern Nevada civic networks.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed for organizational grants as awards are made at trustee discretion.

For scholarships, recipients are typically notified in spring, with awards announced by early summer for the upcoming academic year.

Success Rates

Organizational Grants: Not applicable - invitation only

Scholarship Program: Highly competitive. The trust awards five scholarships annually from an applicant pool that includes high school seniors across four Southern Nevada counties. With 42 scholars funded through 2024 representing a $4.2 million investment, the program maintains consistent annual cohorts.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable for organizational grants given the pre-selection model.

For scholarships, eligible students may apply annually if they meet criteria, though awards are typically made to incoming college students.

Application Success Factors

For Scholarship Applicants

The Frias Legacy Scholarship is distinctive in its focus on resilience over academic achievement. The trust specifically designed this program to identify students who have overcome significant adversity.

Key Selection Criteria:

  • Grit and perseverance: The 350-word essay about adversity is the centerpiece of the application. The trust seeks students who have demonstrated resilience in the face of significant challenges.
  • Moderate academic achievement: Unlike most competitive scholarships, the trust explicitly targets students with GPAs between 2.0 and 3.6, recognizing that students facing adversity may not have perfect grades.
  • First-generation college students: A significant proportion of recipients are first-generation students.
  • Financial need: Genuine financial barriers to higher education.
  • Commitment to four-year degree: Full-time enrollment at four-year institutions.

Recent Recipient Examples:

  • Students who have experienced homelessness (partnership with Project 150)
  • Students who have lost parents or family members
  • Immigrant and refugee students adapting to new communities
  • Students from rural Nevada communities with limited resources
  • Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts demonstrating community service alongside adversity

Application Tips:

  • Be authentic and specific in the adversity essay—this is what distinguishes candidates
  • Focus on how challenges shaped character and determination rather than just describing hardships
  • Demonstrate commitment to completing a four-year degree despite obstacles
  • Connect adversity to future goals and how education will enable positive change

For Organizations Seeking Future Consideration

While unsolicited applications are not accepted, the trust's giving patterns reveal clear preferences:

Funding Patterns:

  • Transformative scale: The trust makes large, catalytic investments ($1.7M, $9M property, $2M property) rather than many small grants
  • Capital and infrastructure: Property donations, facilities, and major capital needs rather than program grants
  • Education pipeline: Strong focus on K-12 to college transition and support
  • Proven organizations: Recipients are established organizations with track records
  • Youth-centered: Direct service to children and young people in need
  • Southern Nevada focus: Deep commitment to the region where the Frias family built their legacy

Organizations Funded: The trust's recent portfolio provides insight: Public Education Foundation (college access), Girl Scouts (youth development and outdoor education), Project 150 (homeless youth services), Mesquite Works (STEAM education in rural area), Nevada Rural Housing (affordable housing stability), and Bishop Gorman High School (education).

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • For organizational grants: This trust does not accept unsolicited proposals. Only pre-selected organizations receive funding at trustee discretion.
  • For scholarships: The Frias Legacy Scholarship is one of the most unique opportunities in Nevada—it rewards resilience and grit over academic perfection, making it ideal for students with compelling adversity narratives and moderate GPAs (2.0-3.6).
  • Transformative giving model: When the trust does give, it gives big—median grants of $538,000 and multiple seven-figure gifts demonstrate a preference for catalytic investments over incremental support.
  • Education pipeline focus: From homeless high school students to college scholarships to STEAM centers, the trust invests across the entire educational continuum for disadvantaged youth.
  • Southern Nevada legacy: The trust honors Charles and Phyllis Frias's immigrant success story by investing in the community that enabled their rise from taxi driver to transportation magnate.
  • Patient philanthropy: With $43 million in assets and $5 million in annual giving, the trust has significant long-term capacity and appears to take a strategic, relationship-based approach to grantmaking.
  • Youth as priority: Every documented grant serves children, teenagers, or young adults—this is a non-negotiable focus area for the trust.

References

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