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The Selz Foundation

Annual Giving
$8.6M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.3M

The Selz Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $8,640,530 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $250,000+ (some reach millions)
  • Geographic Focus: National and international
  • Application Method: Invitation only/No public application process

Contact Details

The Selz Foundation, Inc.
1370 Avenue of the Americas, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 554-5044

Key Contact: Bernard T. Selz, President

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website and does not provide pre-application support for unsolicited requests.

Overview

The Selz Foundation was established in November 1983 as the philanthropic vehicle of Bernard Selz, founder of Selz Capital hedge fund, and his wife Lisa Selz, who serves as president. Both are collectors of medieval art and artifacts. The foundation has distributed nearly $28 million to various causes over recent years, with annual giving of $8.6 million in 2023 across 49 awards. The foundation operates as a private family foundation and takes a proactive, trustee-driven approach to grantmaking. They tend to provide ongoing support to existing grantees rather than seeking new applicants. The foundation has been noted for lacking transparency and does not maintain a website, making it neither accessible nor approachable for unsolicited applicants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than formal grant programs. Grants are awarded on a proactive basis to organizations identified by the trustees.

  • Typical Range: $25,000 - $250,000
  • Exceptional Grants: Some grants extend into millions for major institutional support
  • Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process

Priority Areas

Arts and Culture

  • Medieval and Pre-Columbian art and archaeology
  • Museum support and art education
  • Cultural preservation and conservation
  • Arts organizations and performance institutions

Higher Education

  • Endowed professorships in art history and archaeology
  • College programs and partnerships
  • Prison education programs

K-12 and Alternative Education

  • Educational access programs
  • Community college support

Policy and Advocacy

  • Libertarian and conservative policy organizations
  • Individual rights and civil liberties
  • Public policy research

Health and Wellness

  • Organizations focused on informed consent and medical freedom
  • Public health advocacy

Recent Grant Recipients

Major institutions that have received support include:

  • Columbia University (Lisa and Bernard Selz Professorships in Medieval Art and Pre-Columbian Art)
  • The Frick Collection
  • Brooklyn Museum
  • Dallas Museum of Art
  • World Monuments Fund ($4.75 million+ since 2003)
  • Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford University
  • National Museum of the American Indian
  • Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
  • LaGuardia Community College
  • American Classical Orchestra
  • Jacob Burns Film Center
  • Montana's Livingston Center for Art and Culture
  • Cato Institute
  • Manhattan Institute
  • Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
  • Empire Center for Public Policy
  • Institute for Justice

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's giving pattern suggests they do not fund:

  • Organizations outside their established areas of interest
  • General operating support for organizations unknown to the trustees
  • First-time applicants without existing relationships

Governance and Leadership

Bernard T. Selz - President and Founder

  • Founder of Selz Capital hedge fund
  • Columbia University graduate
  • Collector of medieval art and artifacts
  • Veteran financier based in Manhattan

Lisa Selz - President of the Foundation

  • Goucher College graduate
  • Medieval art collector
  • Active in foundation leadership and grantmaking decisions

The foundation is managed by the Selz family, with grantmaking decisions made at the trustee level based on their personal interests and priorities, particularly in arts, culture, education, and policy.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Selz Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications for funding.

Grants are awarded proactively by the trustees based on their personal knowledge of organizations and causes aligned with their philanthropic interests. The foundation identifies potential grantees through:

  • Existing relationships with trustees
  • Organizations where trustees serve on boards or have personal connections
  • Institutions aligned with the Selz family's collecting interests in medieval and Pre-Columbian art
  • Policy organizations aligned with their libertarian and conservative values

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees on a rolling basis throughout the year. The foundation made 49 awards in 2023, 27 awards in 2022, and 59 awards in 2021, suggesting ongoing grantmaking activity throughout each year.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. All grants are made by trustee invitation.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process. Organizations that have received grants may continue to receive ongoing support based on trustee discretion.

Application Success Factors

While the Selz Foundation does not accept applications, understanding their funding patterns can provide insight into what they value:

Existing Relationships Matter: The foundation tends to provide ongoing support to grantees, suggesting loyalty to organizations they know and trust. Repeated support to institutions like Columbia University, the World Monuments Fund, and major museums demonstrates long-term commitment.

Alignment with Personal Interests: The Selz family's collecting focus on medieval and Pre-Columbian art directly translates to their philanthropic priorities. Organizations in these specific fields, or broader arts and archaeology institutions, receive substantial support.

Institutional Prestige and Impact: Major grants have gone to well-established institutions like Columbia University (endowed professorships), the Frick Collection, Brooklyn Museum, and international institutions like Oxford's Ashmolean Museum. This suggests the foundation values institutional reputation and capacity for significant impact.

Educational Access: Support for prison education programs through partnerships with Goucher College, Marymount Manhattan College, and LaGuardia Community College indicates interest in expanding educational opportunities to underserved populations.

Policy Alignment: In the policy sphere, grants to libertarian and conservative organizations (Cato Institute, Manhattan Institute, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) reflect specific ideological alignment with individual liberty and limited government principles.

Multi-Year Support: The foundation "tends to provide ongoing support to its grantees," indicating that once a relationship is established, organizations may receive sustained funding over multiple years.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications
  • Invitation-only grantmaking - All grants originate from trustee discretion, not external requests
  • Focus on medieval and Pre-Columbian art - This specific collecting interest drives significant grantmaking in arts and archaeology
  • Institutional relationships matter - Past grantees receive ongoing support; new organizations rarely gain access without trustee connections
  • Grant range is substantial - Typical grants of $25,000-$250,000 with exceptional grants reaching millions for major projects
  • Lack of transparency - No website, no published guidelines, and described as "neither accessible nor approachable"
  • Look for indirect pathways - If your organization aligns with their interests, focus on building visibility in circles where the Selz family is active (Columbia University arts programs, World Monuments Fund, major museum exhibitions in medieval or Pre-Columbian art)

References

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