The Selz Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $8,640,530 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• 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 artefacts. 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 Programmes

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

• 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 organisations and performance institutions

Higher Education

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

K-12 and Alternative Education

• Educational access programmes
• Community college support

Policy and Advocacy

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

Health and Wellness

• Organisations 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

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

• Organisations outside their established areas of interest
• General operating support for organisations 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 artefacts
• 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 organisations and causes aligned with their philanthropic interests. The foundation identifies potential grantees through:

• Existing relationships with trustees
• Organisations 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 organisations 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. Organisations that have received grants may continue to receive ongoing support based on trustee discretion.

Application Success Factors

Whilst 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 organisations 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. Organisations 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 programmes 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 organisations (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, organisations 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 organisations rarely gain access without trustee connections
• Lack of transparency - No website, no published guidelines, and described as "neither accessible nor approachable"
• Look for indirect pathways - If your organisation aligns with their interests, focus on building visibility in circles where the Selz family is active (Columbia University arts programmes, World Monuments Fund, major museum exhibitions in medieval or Pre-Columbian art)

References

• Inside Philanthropy. "Selz Foundation." Accessed December 23, 2025. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-s/selz-foundation
• Instrumentl. "The Selz Foundation | New York, NY | 990 Report." Accessed December 23, 2025. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/selz-foundation-co-selz-capital
• Cause IQ. "The Selz Foundation | New York, NY." Accessed December 23, 2025. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-selz-foundation,133180806/
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "The Selz Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer." Accessed December 23, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133180806
• Wikipedia. "Bernard Selz." Accessed December 23, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Selz
• Hyperallergic. "This New York Couple Has Donated Millions to Museums — And the Anti-Vax Movement." Accessed December 23, 2025. https://hyperallergic.com/anti-vax-movement/
• The Washington Post. "Meet the New York couple donating millions to the anti-vax movement." June 18, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/meet-the-new-york-couple-donating-millions-to-the-anti-vax-movement/2019/06/18/9d791bcc-8e28-11e9-b08e-cfd89bd36d4e_story.html
• TheShareWay. "The Selz Foundation." Accessed December 23, 2025. https://www.theshareway.com/funder/selz-foundation-25460