July 17, 2024
East Bay Intergroup – 4096 Piedmont Avenue, Box 407, Oakland, CA 94611 | info@eastbayaa.org
To all Group Treasurers, Intergroup Representatives, and Group Mailing Contacts
Re: Financial Situation
Thank you for your service and for being a part of our fellowship in the East Bay Intergroup. Our financial situation requires that we write to you about the current outlook for the fellowship.
Last year, we witnessed a 20% downturn in group contributions to Intergroup. We were hoping this wasn’t a trend, but the first five months of this year are in-line with this reduction. If this trend continues, we will end the year with a deficit somewhere in the region of $20,000. Our annual budget is approximately $111,000 and so a deficit of $20,000 represents a significant challenge. This is in addition to the reduction in income from the sale of literature we have seen since the Pandemic began.
In AA we can trace our origins back to that moment when our co-founder, Bill W., realized that to stay sober, he needed to carry the message – to Dr. Bob, as it happened. And so, this wonderful chain reaction of mutual support began. We hang together or we fall apart.
Intergroup is how we hang together as a community here in the East Bay and how we keep the candle lit for the alcoholic who has yet to find us. We do this by providing the meeting list, the bookstore, the phone line/web chat, and, of course, the website. We host two newcomer meetings per week and have recently launched the committee to organize American Sign Language interpretation at your meetings. To provide the connections to stay healthy and in unity, we host special events like All Groups Day and Gratitude Night. To support these services we maintain a modest office.
The services Intergroup provides are pretty simple really and in keeping with our Ninth Tradition, we achieve it all with the least possible organization. This said, we rely on the Seventh Tradition contributions from the fellowship to take care of the services you, the groups, have decided upon, through your elected intergroup representative (IGR). All contributions are voluntary and a contribution is not required to benefit from the services provided.
We also write to you in the spirit of unity. While we do not speak for other service entities, we do understand that our local general service district has also experienced the same downturn in group contributions. Doubtless, your group will remain mindful of the needs of all parts of our service structure: intergroup, general service, and hospitals and institutions (H&I).
Bill reminds us in our Twelfth Concept that in situations like this, we “simply portray what the giver’s service dollar really brings in terms of steering alcoholics to A.A., and in terms of our overall unity and effectiveness. This much done, the hoped-for contributions are forthcoming.” In this spirit we want the groups to know this trend we have observed.
We remain, as always, grateful for all contributions received from groups and members. To review the details of our financial position from the most recent Management Accounts go to: https://bit.ly/ebi-finance.
Should you decide to use it, a flyer is attached for distribution to the members of your group.
In love and service,
Scott W
East Bay Intergroup Chair
Walter W
East Bay Intergroup Board Chair
Teddy BW
East Bay Intergroup Treasurer
