Waldon H. and Adele Orr Charitable Trust Fund

The Waldon H. and Adele Orr Charitable Trust is a philanthropic fund administered by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., under its Trust Philanthropic Services for Private Foundations. The Trust was established through the Last Will and Testament of Waldon H. Orr on August 8, 1996. Waldon and Adele Orr were longtime residents of Brazos County, Texas. The couple, deeply embedded in the Bryan, Texas community, operated Orr’s Supermarkets until their retirement. Their legacy now continues through this charitable trust, which focuses on addressing key community needs in Brazos County. The trust's mission is to support a wide range of charitable causes within Brazos County, Texas, with particular emphasis on the areas of health, human services, and religious activities. These three program areas serve as the guiding framework for funding decisions, with the intent of improving quality of life, expanding access to essential services, and strengthening local institutions of faith. Religious purposes are broadly defined and may include support for faith-based community programs and infrastructure. The foundation’s funding supports operational and project-based needs, but it explicitly does not support endowment requests. Eligibility for the trust’s funding is limited to organizations that are recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. There are no broader geographic or demographic eligibility expansions; all applicant organizations must be located in or serve Brazos County. This ensures the grant’s impact remains hyper-local and targeted to the area where the Orr family lived and worked. Applications for funding are accepted year-round, but to be considered during the annual review cycle, completed applications must be submitted by July 31. The foundation's trustees meet each September to review applications, with funding decisions communicated to applicants typically by October. Applicants will receive an automated confirmation email upon submission, though no additional feedback or pre-application consultations appear to be available. There are no preliminary deadlines such as Letters of Intent required in advance of the full application. The average grant amount ranges between $5,000 and $10,000. On average, the trust issues 23 grants annually, totaling approximately $256,000 in annual disbursements. While the trust does not impose a matching funds requirement, the limited scope and size of individual awards suggest that applicants should design manageable projects or leverage the funds alongside other revenue streams. Technical assistance and inquiries related to the application process can be directed to Wells Fargo Trust Philanthropic Services. The primary contact for application support is available via phone at 1-888-235-4351 or email at grantadministration@wellsfargo.com. Additional foundation governance and grantmaking requirements are subject to the original trust documents, which will take precedence in the event of any discrepancy between published guidelines and legal terms.