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7th Tradition: "Every SA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions."

While contributions cover each group's rent and other expenses, the Seventh Tradition is essential at every level of S.A. service. It is both a privilege and a responsibility for groups and members to ensure that not only their group, but also their intergroup and the General Service Office remain self-supporting. This keeps S.A. free of outside influences.

"Treasurer should have successful sobriety... agreed upon by the group conscience... custodian and disburser of money received by passing the basket at meetings. Collections are usually counted and recorded by the treasurer and one other member." (WB pg. 175)

Where should I send my donations?

Both the Baltimore Area Intergroup and SAICO use PayPal to process donations through a simple & secure portal.

The simplest way is to click the "Donate" icon and follow the instructions.

 

If you prefer to write a check using "snail mail" plus a 49¢ stamp use the following address:

Baltimore Area Intergroup
PO Box 20081
Baltimore, MD 21284

SAICO
PO Box 3565
Brentwood, TN 37024

Click here for SA Online portal

Tips / Do's & Don'ts

  • Keep a separate bank account from your personal money.
  • Deposit the money immediately after each meeting.
  • Don't carry the cash around with you in your pocket because you are liable to spend it and lose track of the collection.
  • Prepare a detailed report for each group conscience meeting and photocopy extras for members.
  • IMPORTANT: Do not keep excess money. It makes no sense to hoard money because this is often a recipe for disaster

Managing the treasury is a lot of responsibility and your group is counting on you to be diligent and provide accurate reports during regular business meetings.

Obviously, the more money you collect (which is directly proportional to the number of attendees) the more money you can donate. As a Trusted Servant, your job is to prepare detailed Income Statements (Cash Flow) and Balance Sheets.

We have organized a sample group distribution spreadsheet based upon a small group (4-5 people/week) and a large group (20-30 people/week).

The more time you spend organizing this information will eliminate any controversy with other group members questioning your best efforts and integrity. AA has a long history of trials and tribulations with managing money.

Recomended reading: AA - Self-Support: Where Money and Spirituality Mix and NA - Group Treasurer's Workbook

BAIG appreciates your support!

Income: Weekly collection from 7th Tradition passing the basket and literature sales.

Fixed Expenses: Church rent on average is a often provided to 12 Step groups at a substantial discount for the meeting room square footage ranging $25-100 per quarter.

Variable Expenses: Literature and coffee supplies generally fluctuate from week to week based upon attendance. However, literature sales revenue replenishes inventory on-hand whereas coffee is a free perishable expense group absorbs. Thus, selling books at cost and learning how to balance your income statement is especially challenging unless you keep accurate records separate from passing the basket.

Literature: Most groups keep a short supply of literature on hand including White Books for sale at cost and free pamphlets that the group absorbs the cost. The Baltimore Area Intergroup now has a large supply of literature available for sale at cost to the local Intergroup Reps which you can pickup in-person at the monthly business meetings (save shipping costs).

Refreshments: coffee, donuts, cookies, sugar, cream, cups, tea. This can get very expensive if you don't manage properly. It is recommended you make "bulk purchases" and monitor the amount of cups of coffee you make each week to avoid waste.

Prudent Reserve: It is suggested you keep at least 3-6 months fixed expenses in savings in case of an emergency.

Remaining Balance: Once you paid off all your expenses and kept the group conscience approved reserve aside you can now make DONATIONS to local Baltimore Area Iintergroup (BAIG) and Sexaholics Anonymous International Central Office (SAICO). Being a trusted steward with the groups financial resources means you should reconcile the above distribution on a routine basis.



If you have any questions, please email: treasurer@baltimoresa.org

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