Programs that provide assistance for people who are in favor of or want to oppose the appointment of a conservator to protect adults from physical danger and improper treatment and/or to protect their estate from exploitation or waste when they are incapable of managing their own affairs or are competent but infirm. Conservatorships differ widely among jurisdictions. In some states, conservatorships are voluntary arrangements in which a physically infirm but competent individual petitions the court to appoint the conservator of choice to manage whatever powers and property the conservatee chooses to include in the arrangement. In these jurisdictions, guardianships apply to adults who are found to be incompetent. In other states, conservatorships apply only to an individual's property while guardianships address responsibility for the person. States having no conservatorship arrangements generally have guardianship provisions which address the needs of adults who have been found by the courts to be incapable of managing their own affairs.

Programs that provide assistance for people who are in favor of or want to oppose the appointment of a guardian to care for and/or manage the affairs of a child or adolescent during minority (generally younger than age 18). In some states, particularly those with no arrangements for conservatorships, whose conservatorships are voluntary covering property and powers designated by the conservatee or whose conservatorships address only the individual's estate, guardianships may also apply to adults who have been found by the courts to be incapable of managing their own affairs.

Private organizations that have been appointed by the court to act as legal guardians or conservators (depending on the state) of people who have been judged to be incompetent or gravely disabled due to Alzheimer's disease, alcoholism, mental illness or other incapacitating conditions and assume responsibility for the care and custody of the individuals and/or for the management of their estates.

The natural or adoptive mothers and fathers of individuals who have physical, sensory, developmental, cognitive, mental or emotional limitations, whose own patterns of personal, social and familial coping have been significantly affected by their responsibility for and concern about the person.

Individuals who have physical, sensory, developmental, cognitive, mental or emotional limitations, illnesses or injuries that affect their ability to engage in one or more major life activities. Disabilities and health conditions may be temporary or permanent, may be present at birth or occur at any point in a person's lifetime, and can be of different levels of severity.