Guardianship And Trusts Corporation

What Guardianship And Trusts Corporation does

Guardianship And Trusts Corporation (GTC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, publicly chartered trust company headquartered at 4205 Hillsboro Pike in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1981 as a project of The ARC of Tennessee and holding a Department of Banking Certificate of Authority from the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions since March 1983, GTC is the only non-profit publicly chartered trust company in the state. The organization operates two integrated fiduciary programs: a Guardianship/Conservatorship Program providing court-appointed decision-making services for persons with developmental disabilities, mental illness, or other intellectual impairments who lack capacity and have no available family or advocates; and a Trust Program administering Special Needs Trusts, Discretionary Trusts, Qualified Income Trusts, and Pooled Supplemental Needs Trusts, with Pooled Trust accounts accessible from a $2,500 minimum opening balance.

GTC's services are delivered by a small professional staff (1-10 employees) under the leadership of Executive Director Dora M. Mitchell, a Certified National Guardian who has been with the organization since 1998 and Executive Director since 2009. The Board of Directors includes professionals from health, finance, and social work, with a permanent seat held by a representative of The ARC of Tennessee. Around-the-clock guardian availability, monthly ward assessments, and end-of-life medical decision authority are core functional capabilities. The organization also sells cemetery plots at Woodlawn Memorial Park as an ancillary offering.

The business model is a hybrid cost-subsidization structure. Fee revenue comes from trust administration (described as materially lower than for-profit trust companies), while donations, grants, and contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations subsidize conservatorship services provided at no cost to indigent wards of the court. GTC does not have proprietary technology; technology is described as not applicable to a fiduciary services organization. The customer base is exclusively individual beneficiaries and wards in the Middle Tennessee region, acquired through court appointments and referrals from disability advocacy organizations, healthcare providers, social workers, and the legal community.

Name

Guardianship And Trusts Corporation

Legal name

Guardianship & Trusts Corp.

Website

https://gtctn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Guardianship And Trusts Corporation (GTC) is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) non-profit and the only non-profit publicly chartered trust company in Tennessee, providing court-appointed conservatorship and trust administration services (Special Needs, Discretionary, Qualified Income, and Pooled Trusts) to persons with disabilities across Middle Tennessee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trust and Fiduciary Services

NAICS

Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAEAKAG

Guardianship, Conservatorship & Special Needs Trust Services

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Fiduciary, Trust & Estate Advisory

SECONDARYFSAAANAG

Guardianship & Conservatorship Services

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Trust & Fiduciary Services (Trust Companies, Estate & Custody Trusts)

SECONDARYFSAAANAJ

Special Needs & Supplemental Needs Trust Services

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Trust & Fiduciary Services (Trust Companies, Estate & Custody Trusts)

Keywords

• Trust administration services
• Guardianship conservatorship services
• Special needs trusts
• Fiduciary services disability
• Nonprofit trust company

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Trust Administration Fees: GTC charges fees for trust administration services including Special Needs Trusts, Discretionary Trusts, Qualified Income Trusts, and Pooled Trusts. As a non-profit publicly chartered trust company, fees are described as much lower than traditional for-profit trust companies, making services accessible to investors at all levels.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, GTC relies heavily on donations, grants, and contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Donations help offset the marginal cost of serving indigent wards of the court at no cost. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by IRS regulations.
3. Conservatorship Services (Pro Bono / Sliding Scale): GTC provides conservatorship services without regard to the person's ability to pay. For indigent wards of the court, services are provided at no cost, offset by charitable contributions. This creates a hybrid model where fee-paying trust clients subsidize pro-bono conservatorship services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Guardianship and Trusts Corporation provides court-appointed guardianship, conservatorship, and trust administration services for persons with developmental disabilities, mental illness, or age-related cognitive impairments in Middle Tennessee. The organization manages Special Needs Trusts, Discretionary Trusts, Qualified Income Trusts, and Pooled Supplemental Needs Trusts, serving as trustee to preserve beneficiaries' eligibility for government benefits such as SSI and Medicaid. As the only non-profit publicly chartered trust company in Tennessee, GTC offers these fiduciary services at lower fees than for-profit alternatives and provides conservatorship services at no cost to indigent wards of the court.

Product overview

Guardianship & Trusts Corporation (GTC) is a nonprofit publicly chartered trust company offering a unified portfolio of fiduciary and trust services for persons with disabilities. The core offering consists of two integrated programs: (1) a Guardianship/Conservatorship Program providing court-appointed guardianship for individuals unable to make informed decisions, and (2) a Trust Program comprising Special Needs Trusts, Discretionary Trusts, Qualified Income Trusts, and Pooled Supplemental Needs Trusts. The organization serves as trustee, managing beneficiary resources while preserving eligibility for government benefits. As the only nonprofit publicly chartered trust company in Tennessee, GTC provides these services at lower fees than traditional trust companies, with services available to clients at all investment levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guardianship/Conservatorship Program

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The ARC of TennesseecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 1980GTC was originally conceived in February 1980 as a project of The ARC of Tennessee, a non-profit disability rights advocacy group in Nashville. The ARC of Tennessee established the viability of establishing a corporation to serve persons with mental impairments whose needs for fiduciaries were not being met. GTC's Board of Directors must always include a member of The ARC of Tennessee.
• Tennessee Department of Financial InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTC holds a Department of Banking Certificate of Authority from the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions and is subject to oversight of that regulatory institution. In March 1983, GTC was issued a Certificate of Authority to serve as trustee of private trusts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• The Arc of the United States: National disability advocacy organization that includes The Arc of Tennessee and other state-level chapters. Comparable as a federally-focused disability advocacy and services organization serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including on lifetime planning and trust-related issues.
• Wells Fargo Wealth Management (Trust Services): Major wealth manager with corporate trustee and personal trust services, including special needs trust administration. Comparable as an institutional trust services provider that GTC competes against on price and accessibility, particularly for pooled trust products.
• Special Needs Alliance: National membership organization of attorneys and advisors specializing in disability law, Special Needs Trusts, and public benefits planning. Comparable as a broader ecosystem player addressing the same beneficiary population and serving as a referral source and peer community for GTC's services.
• Fidelity Investments (Trust Services): Large national financial services firm with a trust and estate administration division offering institutional trustee and special needs planning services. Comparable as a scaled trust services provider serving similar end-beneficiary needs, though at higher price points and with for-profit positioning.

Others

• National Guardianship Association: National professional association for guardians and conservators. Comparable as an ecosystem participant setting professional standards (the Executive Director is a Certified National Guardian) and providing the broader professional community that generates referrals and best practices for GTC.

Emerging players

• ABLE National Resource Center: National resource center for ABLE accounts, which are tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. Comparable as an alternative/complementary vehicle to Special Needs Trusts for preserving benefits eligibility, representing both a peer and a partial substitute for GTC's pooled trust product.
• Burton Heard & Associates: Special needs planning firm focused on disability-related financial planning, including Special Needs Trusts. Comparable as a specialized provider addressing the same means-tested benefits preservation problem for families of persons with disabilities.
• PLAN (Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network): Disability advocacy organization focused on lifetime planning, financial security, and trust/fiduciary support for persons with disabilities and their families. Comparable as a community-led model delivering special needs planning and advocacy services for a similar population.

Regional players

• Cumberland Trust: Tennessee-based independent trust company providing corporate trustee and trust administration services in the Southeast. Comparable as a regional trust services competitor operating in GTC's geography with overlapping trust administration offerings.
• The Arc of Tennessee: Parent organization and founder of GTC; a disability rights advocacy nonprofit in Tennessee. Directly comparable as a regional disability advocacy and support organization serving similar populations, with overlapping referral relationships and governance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guardianship-and-trusts

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guardianship And Trusts Corporation