A.A.’s Seventh Tradition states:  “Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”  This means that only A.A. members contribute financially to A.A. – and even A.A. members are limited in the amount they can contribute. This keeps A.A. free of outside influences that might divert us from our primary purpose — to help the alcoholic who still suffers. The amount of the contribution is secondary to the spiritual connection that unites all groups around the world.

“Self-support begins with me, because I am part of us – the group. We pay our rent and utility bills, buy coffee, snacks and A.A. Literature. We support our central office, our area committee, and our General Service Office. If it were not for those entities, many new people would never discover the miracles of A.A.*”

*Reprinted from Self-Support: Where Money and Spirituality Mix, page 5, with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

In keeping with the Seventh Tradition of A.A. limits contributions to two sources: A.A. groups, and individual A.A. members. We follow the limits established by the General Service Conference for individual contributions, currently not more than seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500.00) per year. Bequests in wills are acceptable on a one-time basis, and not in perpetuity. The limit is no more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00).

Together, group and individual contributions make it possible for us to coordinate the services which individual groups in Maine (Area-28) cannot provide and to facilitate twelfth step work.

For additional information regarding A.A.’s tradition of self support, please consult the pamphlet Self-Support: Where Money and Spirituality Mix, the A.A.® Guidelines on Finance, and visit www.aa.org.