The Selz Foundation

NEW YORK, NY EIN: 13-3180806

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$134.6M

+3.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$104K

-98.8% YoY

Grant Count

-73.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

-95.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Selz Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation does not maintain a public website and does not disclose a formal mission statement. However, based on grantmaking patterns, the foundation supports a diverse range of causes including education, arts and cultural preservation, and other charitable purposes. Bernard and Lisa Selz are noted collectors of medieval art and artifacts, which influences the foundation's philanthropic interests.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

** $25,000 to $250,000+, with some grants extending into millions for major institutional support.

Invitation Only

** Invitation only. The foundation does not maintain a public application process and does not provide pre-application support for unsolicited requests.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

National and international.

Grant Distribution by State

Maryland $17.1M (46%)

New York $13.0M (35%)

District of Columbia $2.6M (7%)

Pennsylvania $1.2M (3%)

Montana $1.1M (3%)

Virginia $1.1M (3%)

New Jersey $758K (2%)

Connecticut $325K (1%)

+7 more states

States

California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Kansas Maryland Montana New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington

Cities

AlbanyAlexandriaArlingtonBaltimoreBedfordBoca RatonBriarcliff ManorBronxBrooklynCarbondaleChappaquaCliftonCranfordDallasEmeryvilleEurekaFeastervilletrevoseFranklin LakesGreenwichHelena

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total Assets: $134.6 million
Total Revenue: $12.1 million
Total Expenses: $891,903
Net Assets: $134.6 million
Total Liabilities: $0

As of December 2023:

Total Assets: $129.7 million
Total Revenues: -$10.6 million
Total Expenses: $9.7 million

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$134,610,641	$129,738,163	$152,334,912
Revenue	$12,087,703	$-10,556,682	$28,347,823
Expenses	$891,903	$9,701,552	$16,663,264
Qualifying Distributions	$166,789	$8,678,262	$16,025,128
Net Investment Income	$10,335,621	$4,525,311	$15,300,373
Distributable Amount	$8,469,476	$7,884,642	$8,238,591

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

189 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Ny University ($50,543), Fordham University ($25,718), World Wildlife Fund ($7,500).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE-EDUCATION	$3,121
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY BRONX, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE-EDUCATION	$25,718
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE-ARTS	$210
NATURE CONSRVANCY OF MONTANA HELENA, MT	GENERAL PURPOSE-ENVIROMENTAL	$3,000
NY UNIVERSITY NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE-EDUCATION	$50,543
PAID THROUGH ENERGY TRANSFER LP DALLAS, TX	GENERAL PURPOSE-UNKNOWN	$116
SIDEWALK RESCUE TACOMA, WA	GENERAL PURPOSE-COMMUNITY SERVICES	$2,000
THE MORGAN LIBRARY NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE-LIBRARY	$2,000
UNITED IN LIGHT LIVINGSTON, MT	GENERAL PURPOSE-ANIMAL WELFARE	$5,000
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL PURPOSE-ANIMAL WELFARE	$7,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Bernard T. Selz – President and Founder
Lisa Selz – Secretary and Treasurer

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
BERNARD T SELZ	PRES/DIR	7	—
LISA SELZ	SECY/TRES	30	—
ARNOLD SYROP	VP/DIR	7	—

Contact Information

Address: 1370 Avenue of the Americas, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10019

Phone: (212) 554-5044

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Selz Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from The Selz Foundation?

**Application Process:** Invitation only. The foundation does not maintain a public application process and does not provide pre-application support for unsolicited requests. **Grant Range:** $25,000 to $250,000+, with some grants extending into millions for major institutional support. **Annual Giving:** $8.6 million in 2023 across 49 awards. The foundation distributed nearly $28 million over recent years. **Recent Grant Examples (2023):** • University of Pennsylvania: $1,000,000 (General Purp…

Where does The Selz Foundation make grants?

National and international.

What size grants does The Selz Foundation award?

In 2024, The Selz Foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $104K — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Selz Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Selz Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.