Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Houston, TX EIN: 27-0066678

Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc was a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its 2020 filing is marked as the foundation’s final return and states that its final distribution was made on November 3, 2020; the foundation appears to have wound down.

Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc gave $1.8M across 20 grants in 2020 (avg $91K), top state California. Source: 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2020)
$1,819,140
Grants made (2020)
20
Average grant
$90,957
Median grant
$2,150
Primary geography
California (49% of itemized 2020 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2020 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2020; updated October 2026.

How to apply to Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
Contact

Mailing address: Jil Pollock 11407 Quail Hollow Ln, Houston, TX 77024
Phone: (281) 793-0789

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2020

Robbins Family Fund at Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund: $877KRobbins Family Fund atFidelity Investments…$877KSelis Family Fund at Schwab Charitable Fund: $877KSelis Family Fund at SchwabCharitable Fund$877KArts Angels: $20KArts Angels$20KCommunity Center of Nyack: $12KCommunity Center of Nyack$12KPlanned Parenthood of Gulf Coast: $5KPlanned Parenthood of GulfCoast$5KNational Outdoor Leadership School: $4KNational Outdoor LeadershipSchool$4KRockland County Pride Center: $4KRockland County Pride Center$4KForman School: $3KForman School$3KAlmeda County Community Food Bank: $3KAlmeda County Community FoodBank$3KCentral Park Conservancy: $2KCentral Park Conservancy$2K

The largest 2020 recipient was Robbins Family Fund at Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund ($877K). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.

Grant Size Distribution

20 grants across all recorded years

18<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K2$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 18 grants of 20 (90%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2020, 49% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 48% to recipients in Massachusetts. New York received 2%; Texas and Wyoming each received 0% as reported in the filing.

Grant Distribution by State

7states

Share of 2020 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.

Cities

BerkelyNyackHoustonNew YorkAlpine MwadowBostonBrewsterColorado SpringsLanderLitchfieldOaklandPrincetonSan FranciscoSan Jose

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$500K$1M$1.5M$2M20 grants2020

In 2020 it made 20 grants totaling $1.8M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Robbins Family Fund at Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund Boston, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$877,070
Selis Family Fund at Schwab Charitable Fund San Francisco, CAGeneral Charitable Purposes$877,070
Arts Angels Nyack, NYGeneral Charitable Purposes$20,000
Community Center of Nyack Nyack, NYGeneral Charitable Purposes$12,000
Planned Parenthood of Gulf Coast Houston, TXGeneral Charitable Purposes$5,000
National Outdoor Leadership School Lander, WYGeneral Charitable Purposes$4,000
Rockland County Pride Center Nyack, NYGeneral Charitable Purposes$4,000
Forman School Litchfield, NYGeneral Charitable Purposes$3,000
Almeda County Community Food Bank Oakland, CAGeneral Charitable Purposes$3,000
Central Park Conservancy New York, NYGeneral Charitable Purposes Charitable Purposes$2,300
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

The filing states that the final distribution was made on November 3, 2020, and that cash was the foundation’s only asset at that time.

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsDistributable Amount
2020$4,481$1,859,415$1,819,14020$78,433

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $78K for 2020 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2020 grants included support for charitable funds and organizations in areas such as community services, LGBTQ+ community support, outdoor leadership, education, food assistance, and the arts. These are areas represented by the listed grantees, not stated foundation priorities.

The Rockland County Pride Center describes itself as an LGBTQ+ community center with a justice-focused mission. The National Outdoor Leadership School says its mission is to teach wilderness skills and leadership in service of people and the environment. Maybeck High School describes itself as a college preparatory school focused on academic excellence and preparing students to engage in the wider world.

Grantmaking

In 2020, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $1,819,140. The median grant was $2,150; grants ranged from $900 to $877,070. Its largest listed grants were $877,070 each to the Robbins Family Fund at Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund and the Selis Family Fund at Schwab Charitable Fund, both for general charitable purposes. Other listed grants included $20,000 to Arts Angels, $12,000 to Community Center of Nyack, and $5,000 to Planned Parenthood of Gulf Coast.

The foundation’s filing states that it made contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2020 filing lists Jil R. Pollock as president, Carol L. Heller as treasurer/secretary, and Gail R. Heller as director.

Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc is led by Jil R. Pollock, President on the 2020 filing; none of the 3 officers listed in 2020 report compensation.

Officers on the 2020 filing

  • Jil R. Pollock

    President

    New on the 2020 filing

    No compensation reported

  • Gail R. Heller

    Director

    New on the 2020 filing

    No compensation reported

  • Carol L. Heller

    Treasurer & Secretary

    New on the 2020 filing

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Frequently asked questions about Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc

How much does Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc give each year?

Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc gave $1.8M across 20 grants in 2020, according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.

What is Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc's median grant in 2020 was $2,150, and its average grant was $90,957, across 20 grants on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc give grants?

Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc's top state is California, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was Massachusetts (48%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nyack, NY (3 grants), Berkely, CA (3 grants), Houston, TX (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).

Does Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc's 2020 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc's largest 2020 grantees include Robbins Family Fund at Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund ($877,070), Selis Family Fund at Schwab Charitable Fund ($877,070) and Arts Angels ($20,000), according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 98% of its itemized 2020 grant dollars.

What does Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2020 grants included support for charitable funds and organizations in areas such as community services, LGBTQ+ community support, outdoor leadership, education, food assistance, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc?

Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.

How much is Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2020, Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $78K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc's EIN?

Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-0066678. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020.

Does Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

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

Data update history

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal year 2020

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Irving and Sara Selis Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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