The Orr Family Foundation logo

The Orr Family Foundation

AUSTIN, TX EIN: 47-3317225 Website

The Orr Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Austin, Texas, established in 2013. The foundation was created by Joseph Orr in his final months of life and is structured as a 501(c)(3) organization. It operates with no employees and is managed by a trustee.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

Annual Giving

$1.8M

+73.5% YoY

Grant Count

14

+7.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$131K

+61.1% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation was established to support causes that reflected Joseph Orr's lifelong passions and interests. Primary funding areas include:

  • Astronomy and observatories
  • Archaeological studies of Maya culture
  • Big Bend National Park and conservation
  • Grand Canyon National Park and conservation
  • Cancer research
  • Land preservation
  • Dark skies initiatives

Grantmaking

The foundation made 16 grants in 2023.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Arizona, Texas, and New York.

Grant Distribution by State

7states

Cities

ALPINEAUSTINCARYFLAGSTAFFGRAND CANYONHAGERSTOWNLOS ANGELESNEW YORKOKLAHOMA CITYPINETOPSAN ANTONIOTUSCON

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

  • Total assets: $29,276,288
  • Total revenues: $5,408,645
  • Total expenses: $1,514,794

As of 2024:

  • Total assets: $31,072,251
  • Total giving: $1,830,000
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$0.275$0.55$0.8250000000000001$1.120202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$458K$915K$1M$2M16 grants202015 grants202115 grants202213 grants202314 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS$500KLOWELL OBSERVATORY$400KTHE V FOUNDATION FOR CAN…$200KGRAND CANYON TRUST$130KGRAND CANYON CONSERVANCY$120KTHE NATURE CONSERVANCY$100KSUL ROSS UNIVERSITY - CE…$80KWITTE MUSEUM$60KINTERNATIONAL DARK SKY A…$60KFRIENDS OF THE OBSERVATO…$60K

Grant Size Distribution

73 grants across all recorded years

25<$50K31$50–100K13$100–250K3$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Sam Bassett serves as Trustee of the foundation. He was designated by Joseph Orr to manage the foundation following Orr's death in 2013.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
SAM BASSETTTRUSTEE

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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