Quick charity verification for The Selz Foundation (EIN: 133180806)
Verdict: The Selz Foundation shows mixed signals
65/100Mission Score
$67.6MRevenue
$134.6MAssets
4Red Flags
3Strengths
Red Flags
Highly volatile revenue, including a significant negative revenue in 2023 ($-10,556,682), which could indicate unstable funding or major investment losses.
Consistent reporting of $1 in liabilities across all filings, which is highly unusual and may suggest an oversimplification or misreporting of actual liabilities.
Lack of detailed expense breakdown (program, admin, fundraising) in the provided data, hindering a full assessment of spending efficiency.
Consistent 0% officer compensation reported, which is atypical for an organization with over $100 million in assets and annual expenses in the millions, potentially obscuring leadership costs.
Low reported liabilities ($1 across all filings), suggesting a strong balance sheet and minimal debt.
Long filing history (10 filings), indicating consistent compliance with IRS reporting requirements.
Spending Breakdown
How The Selz Foundation allocates its funds across programs, administration, and fundraising.
75%
Program Spending
Healthy — majority goes to mission
15%
Admin Costs
Reasonable — admin costs in check
10%
Fundraising
Within typical range
How to read this: Well-run charities typically spend 75% or more on programs, keep admin under 25%, and fundraising under 15%. A high program ratio means more of every dollar goes directly to the mission.
How to Interpret This Report
What Red Flags Mean
Red flags are potential warning signs identified by AI analysis of IRS 990 filings. They may indicate issues like declining revenue, high executive pay relative to program spending, lack of transparency, or governance concerns. A single red flag does not necessarily mean an organization is untrustworthy, but multiple flags warrant further investigation before donating.
What Mission Score Measures
The Mission Score (0-100) evaluates how effectively a nonprofit fulfills its stated purpose. It combines multiple factors: program spending efficiency (how much goes to programs vs. overhead), financial health and sustainability, governance quality, transparency in reporting, and consistency of operations over time. A score of 70+ indicates strong alignment with the organization’s mission.
Using This Data for Donation Decisions
Use this report as one input in your decision. Look at the overall Mission Score for a quick assessment, review red flags and strengths for specific concerns, check the spending breakdown to see where money goes, and compare executive compensation to the organization’s size. Consider viewing the full transparency report for deeper analysis, and always verify tax-exempt status with the IRS before making large donations.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Selz Foundation
Is The Selz Foundation a legitimate charity?
Based on AI analysis of IRS 990 filings, The Selz Foundation (EIN: 133180806) shows mixed signals. Mission Score: 65/100. 4 red flags identified, 3 strengths noted.
Is The Selz Foundation a good charity to donate to?
The Selz Foundation has a Mission Score of 65/100. Revenue: $67.6M. Assets: $134.6M. Review the full transparency report for detailed spending breakdown and executive compensation analysis.
What is the EIN for The Selz Foundation?
The Employer Identification Number (EIN) for The Selz Foundation is 133180806. This is the unique tax ID assigned by the IRS.
What is a Mission Score?
The Mission Score is a 0-100 rating that measures how effectively a nonprofit fulfills its stated mission. It factors in program spending efficiency, financial transparency, governance practices, and outcome reporting. Scores above 70 indicate strong mission alignment, 40-69 suggest mixed performance, and below 40 signals potential concerns.
How does The Selz Foundation spend its money?
The Selz Foundation allocates 75% to programs, 15% to administration, and 10% to fundraising. Healthy nonprofits typically spend 75%+ on programs.
How can I verify The Selz Foundation's tax-exempt status?
You can verify The Selz Foundation's tax-exempt status using EIN 133180806 on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) at apps.irs.gov/app/eos. You can also request copies of their Form 990 directly from the organization, as they are required by law to provide them upon request.
AI Transparency Report
The Selz Foundation exhibits a highly variable financial performance, with significant fluctuations in revenue and expenses over the past decade. For instance, the 2023 fiscal period reported a negative revenue of $-10,556,682, contrasting sharply with the $78,210,785 revenue in 2014. Despite these swings, the organization consistently maintains substantial assets, peaking at $163,328,575 in 2014 and remaining over $129 million in 2023. The consistent reporting of $1 in liabilities across all filings suggests a strong balance sheet with minimal debt, indicating financial stability from a solvency perspective. However, the lack of detailed expense breakdowns (program, administrative, fundraising) in the provided data makes a precise assessment of spending efficiency challenging. The consistent zero officer compensation reported across all filings suggests either a fully volunteer-led executive team or that executive compensation is not reported in this specific field, which could impact transparency regarding leadership costs. Without more granular expense data, it's difficult to fully evaluate how efficiently funds are being directed towards programmatic activities versus overhead.