Grants to Highest State Courts to Improve Guardianship
🏛 Administration for Community Living (HHS-ACL)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 20, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for the highest state courts working to improve adult guardianship and conservatorship systems. Only state courts (the judicial branch at state level) can apply. The program funds projects in all US states that assess guardianship proceedings or implement reforms. Eligible activities include evaluating fairness and safety of guardianship systems, making necessary improvements, and creating systems to detect fraud or exploitation of protected persons.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
Not the right fit? Find grants for your organization in 5 questions →
Key dates
- Oct 19, 2026 Applications open
- May 17, 2027 Application deadline in 208 days
- Aug 18, 2027 Award announced
- Sep 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
The purpose of the EJIG program is to support the development and advancement of new and emerging approaches to address issues related to elder justice. For this opportunity, awards will be made to the highest state courts to improve guardianship by: assessing the fairness, effectiveness, timeliness, safety, integrity, and accessibility of adult guardianship and conservatorship proceedings; implementing changes deemed necessary as a result of the assessments; and/or implementing systems to simplify the filing process for conservators and guardians and better enable courts to identify discrepancies and detect fraud and the exploitation of protected person.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Statement of Need
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Cost Sharing Documentation
- Organizational Capacity Statement
- Letters of Support (from state court leadership)
Program contact
- 👤 Kari Benson
- 📧 AoA.oaa@acl.hhs.gov
- 📞 202-401-4634
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.747 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$24,233,600
-
$18,661,626
-
$16,739,634
-
$14,256,688
-
$10,309,494
-
$8,646,741
-
$7,652,295
-
$7,259,715
-
$7,136,520
-
$6,869,484
Top States by Funding
- CA 6 awards $35.2M
- FL 4 awards $27.2M
- TX 6 awards $25.8M
- NY 6 awards $22.3M
- PA 5 awards $19.3M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.747). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $15,000,000 | |
| 2025 | $15,000,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $15,000,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
Only the highest state courts (supreme courts or court of last resort) can apply. Individual judges, local courts, and tribal courts are not eligible.
What geographic areas are covered?
All US states are eligible. There is no regional or state-specific restriction.
What activities can the grant fund?
Assessing guardianship systems, implementing reforms, and creating fraud detection systems. The focus is on fairness, safety, timeliness, and accessibility of proceedings.
What is the funding amount?
Awards range from $200,000 to $500,000 per grant. Cost sharing is required.
How competitive is this grant?
With $2.5M total funding and an average award of $300,000-$400,000, roughly 5-10 awards are expected. This is moderately competitive for federal grants.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Focus your application on real problems in your state's guardianship system backed by data. Describe what you've already assessed or learned.
- Explain how the grant funds will lead to concrete, measurable improvements. Include specific timelines and outcomes.
- Address all three program goals (assessment, implementation, and fraud detection systems) or clearly explain which ones apply to your project.
- Detail your cost-sharing commitment upfront. Show it's realistic and demonstrates genuine institutional support.
- Emphasize elder protection and reducing exploitation. This is the core priority of the Administration for Community Living.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applying as a lower court, law firm, or advocacy organization instead of the state's highest court. Proposing vague improvements without baseline data on current system problems. Underestimating cost sharing requirements or failing to document matching funds commitment.
Similar grants
- OPEN Elder Justice Innovation Grants FY2027 — Administration for Community Living
- OPEN BJA FY 2026 Capital Case Litigation Initiative: Improving the Quality of Legal Representation in State Capital Cases — Bureau of Justice Assistance
- OPEN BJA FY 2026 Adult Treatment Court Program — Bureau of Justice Assistance
- OPEN OJJDP FY 2026 Juvenile Justice System Enhancements — Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention
- OPEN BJA FY 2026 Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program — Bureau of Justice Assistance