Join Us in Safeguarding Dignity for the Elderly and Special Needs
Guardian Advocates Inc has been serving our service communities for more than 6 years and is dedicated to the protection, advocacy, and support of senior adults and adults with special needs and disabilities. When our country is experiencing exponential growth in both aging and special needs populations, our services are more important than ever.
As an Indiana not-for-profit corporation that receives limited state and local grants, we rely on private donations from hospitals, care facilities, businesses, foundations, and individuals to build and maintain a community that supports the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.
Guardian Advocates Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and charitable contributions are tax deductible as allowed by current law. Donations may be directed towards our general fund in support of our overall mission, or to a specific program as designated by you.
Information about Guardian Advocates
- Guardian Advocates Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit corporation formed in 2018.
- We serve senior adults and adults with disabilities in your county who do not have family or others to help them.
- As their court-appointed guardian, our staff and volunteers visit them, monitor and coordinate their care, handle their finances and public benefits, and provide basic needs for them as a family member would do.
- We match volunteers to clients for whom our nonprofit provides guardianship and power of attorney services.
- Client referrals come from courts. hospitals, nursing homes, group homes, assisted living, mental health facilities, law enforcement, lawyers, adult protective services, families, and friends.
- We operate your county court’s Volunteer Advocates for Seniors & Incapacitated Adults (VASIA) program that was created in 2013 by the Indiana Supreme Court’s office of Adult Guardianship.
- We educate about elder care, special needs care, guardianships and alternatives such as power of attorney, advance directives, & payee representative..
- We advocate, protect, and support victims of elder abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and financial exploitation.
- Our service counties are: Tipton, Howard, Cass, Fulton, Miami, Grant, Madison, and Delaware Counties.
To Donate click on the secure donate button or to discuss any of giving options please contact us:
If you live in one of our service counties listed above, and give a gift, our VASIA grant through the State Supreme Court allows us to use it as a 50% match in our service counties, so a $100 gift becomes $300 total when your gift makes us eligible for the VASIA grant (up to $75,000 annually)!
Real Stories of Impact
Here are some inspiring examples of how Guardian Advocates has made a difference in the lives of those we serve:
Amy was living in her house with a young couple who exploited her financially. Guardian Advocates intervened, ensuring she preserved her money for her needs and secured Medicaid benefits for her nursing home care. Now, Amy is happy, involved in facility activities, and her financial exploitation has ended.
Adult twins Jack and Jill were removed from an abusive household by Adult Protective Services. Guardian Advocates helped Jill complete her high school education and assisted Jack in exploring vocational rehabilitation and employment opportunities. Both now enjoy a better quality of life, socialization, and community involvement.
Carolyn was struggling with self-neglect, unable to manage her home or health. Guardian Advocates arranged for 24-hour care, ensuring she now lives in a safe and sanitary environment. Carolyn’s Medicaid covers her nursing home expenses, and plans are in place to transition her to assisted living for an improved quality of life.
Kate was evicted from her condemned home and found herself in a dire situation. Guardian Advocates arranged for her rehabilitation and assisted her move to an assisted living apartment, utilizing her long-term care insurance to cover the costs. Kate now lives in a safer, more supportive environment.
Will, a delusional military veteran, was found wandering and in need of help. Guardian Advocates worked to find him appropriate assisted living placement through Medicaid waiver, ensuring he receives the care and support he needs.
*All names have been changed to maintain privacy and dignity for our clients
Why Become a Donor?
Support a Vital Cause
- Guardian Advocates operates adult guardianship programs authorized by the Indiana Probate Code, providing essential services to older persons and persons with disabilities who have no family to help. By donating, you are directly supporting our efforts to advocate for and protect these individuals.
Ensure Quality Care
- Donations help us provide timely and quality medical care, advocacy, and dignity for our clients. Without the support of donors like you, many incapacitated adults would lack the necessary resources to live safely and comfortably.
Contribute to Community Savings
- Our programs save the community significant costs by reducing unnecessary hospital stays, court costs, and emergency services. For example, by obtaining guardianship for a client with intellectual disabilities, we saved hospitals approximately $30,000 in costs
Impact of Your Donations
Direct Client Support
- Donations fund critical services such as guardianship, case management, and emergency interventions. Your support helps individuals like “Amy,” who, through our program, preserved her finances and secured Medicaid benefits for her nursing home care. improve health and quality of life and dignity.
Community Benefits
- Our guardianship programs assist local resources such as Adult Protective Services, police, care facilities, hospitals by facilitating timely and quality care. This not only improves individual outcomes but also enhances community well-being by reducing strain on public services such as repetitive police wellfare checks, ambulance runs, hospital re-admissions, or hospital over-stays..
Sustainable Programs
- Your donations enable us to maintain and expand our programs, ensuring that we can continue to serve the growing population of baby boomers and other vulnerable special needs adults. Each year, we achieve a significant return on investment, saving over $126,000 in community services for each division.
Other Ways to Give
Corporate and Foundation Giving
We welcome support from businesses and foundations. For more information on corporate sponsorships or foundation grants, please contact us.
Planned Giving
Consider including Guardian Advocates in your estate planning. Planned gifts can provide tax benefits and ensure that your legacy supports a cause you care about.
In-Kind Donations
In-kind contributions of goods and services are also valuable to our operations. Please contact us to discuss current needs and opportunities for in-kind giving.
Contact Us for These kind of Donations or Use the Donate Link
John Longnaker (Grant, Madison, and Delaware Counties)
john@guardianadvocates.org or 765-602-8600
Alachia Sturgess (Tipton, Howard, Cass, Fulton, and Miami Counties)
ASturgess@guardianadvocates.org or 765-475-3301
Here’s why you should consider donating to Guardian Advocates and what your money goes towards.
$7,500.00 – Help 5 adults with our case management & guardianship for 1 year
$5,000.00 – Help 3 adults with our case management & guardianship for 1 year and underwrite the cost of 1 month of accounting services
$1,500.00 – Help support an adult with our case management & guardianship for 1 year
$500.00 – help support an adult with case management & guardianship for 4 months
$100.00 – Help support an adult with case management & guardianship for almost 3 weeks
$50.00 – help support an adult with family to help receive placement in a safe nursing home or group home
Benefits of Donating
Tax-Deductible Contributions
- Guardian Advocates, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible, providing financial benefits to you while supporting a worthy cause.
Transparency and Accountability
- We ensure that all donations are used efficiently and effectively, adhering to the highest standards of financial accountability. Funds are designated to benefit the residents of the divisions from which they came, ensuring local impact.
Recognition and Gratitude
- As a donor, you will receive regular updates on the impact of your contributions and be recognized for your support. We value our donors and strive to show our appreciation through various recognition programs and events.
Thanks to our sponsors in 2024
Connie Kurtz, board member
Jeanette Cotton
Madison County Council/Auditor Rick Gardner
Areba Stone
Walt Spangler
Tammy Cummings
Tiffany Patton
City of Muncie/Mayor Dan Ridenour
Delaware County Commissioners/County Council
Nick Smith (donated art design)
K & A Electric (donated services)
Community Hospital Anderson
Essential Long Term Care (aka Community Long Term Care Inc)
Wesleyan Heath & Rehab Ctr-Marion
Hopewell Center
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital Foundation
Psi Iota Xi Sorority
Madison County Community Foundation (competitive grant)
Sandy Montgomery
Dana Wright DDS LLC
Judge David Happe, board member
Shawn Yost, former board member
Anita Corley, board member
Edgewater Woods Nursing Home
Terri Pollett-Hinkle Law Office
John Longnaker III Law Office
Leslie Matthews Law Office
John & Amber Longnaker – staff
Robert & Sally Heier
Pam Butz
Jeanne Brown – Board Member
Barb Marshall – staff
Keystone Woods assisted living
Alexandria Care Center
Beaumont Healthcare & Rehab
First Merchants Bank – Katie, Emily
City of Anderson (ARPA grant)
Mayor and City Council of Tipton
Tipton County Commissioners and Council
IU Tipton Hospital
Tipton County Foundation
Mayor and City Council of Logansport
EEL Township Trustee
Cass County United Way
Mayor and City Council of Rochester
Fulton County Commissioners and Council
Northern Indiana Community Foundation Fulton County
Miami County Commissioners and Council
REMC
Miami-Cass Operation Roundup
Northern Indiana Community Foundation Miami County
Howard County Commissioners & Council
Community Foundation of Howard County
City of Kokomo / Mayor
Community Howard Regional Health Foundation
Howard County CAP Council
Linda Johnson – Staff
