We partner with fellow practitioners, advocates, and allies to influence the public agenda and realize an equitable guardianship system in New York.
New York’s adult guardianship system—governed by Article 81 of the Mental Hygiene Law—is in crisis. A severe shortage of qualified guardians is leaving countless New Yorkers without critical legal protections, decision-making support, and access to the essential services they need to survive and thrive.
Project Guardianship uses budget and policy advocacy to strengthen New York’s adult guardianship system. Our priorities include addressing the shortage of qualified guardians, establishing a right to guardianship for those in need, and ensuring guardianship is used only as a last resort. We also partner with the courts to improve their practices, conduct original research to uncover systemic challenges and develop solutions, and increase public awareness through training sessions and strategic communications.
Guardianship Access New York
In 2022, Project Guardianship founded Guardianship Access New York (GANY), a statewide coalition of nonprofit providers and allies advocating for adequate public investment in guardianship services and alternatives. The following year, GANY secured the first ever appropriation for guardianship services in the New York State budget.
Statewide Initiative of Nonprofit Guardians
Since 2023, GANY has called on the Governor and Legislature to fund a Statewide Initiative of Nonprofit Guardians (SING) with an annual $15 million investment. SING promises to address the guardianship shortage by increasing the capacity of existing providers and launching new guardianship programs in underserved regions, all while maintaining the highest level of care for individuals in need of guardians.
The case for nonprofits
When it comes to providing guardianship services to older New Yorkers and those with disabilities who have no family or friends to serve and no funds to pay for a private guardian, we believe that nonprofits are best suited for the job.
- We are here, on the ground, doing the work. Nonprofits have been serving as agency guardians for people with no other option for more than three decades. We have amassed trust, partnerships, expertise, and data that allow us to quickly scale up and to support the development of new guardianship programs in underserved areas.
- We are equipped to deliver high-quality services. To be the guardian of another person is one of the greatest, most challenging, and evolving responsibilities. As such, it is key that guardians are responsive 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our employees routinely take calls, show up, and make decisions for clients in the middle of the night and on weekends and holidays—as emergencies arise.
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Our model saves New Yorkers millions. A nonprofit guardianship model that is person-centered has a mandate to help clients live and age in their homes and communities. In doing so, we save millions of dollars each year through nursing home avoidance, limited hospital stays, and housing stabilization. Our 2025 cost-benefit analysis shows that a $15 million investment in nonprofit guardians would generate a net savings of $85 million, primarily in unspent Medicaid dollars.