QOD 3/5/15

[John Miller]

How do we know when our money making activities begin to interfere with your group's recovery?  How would your group  handle an anonymous donation that showed up in the mail? Would that answer change if the group was barely getting by?

[Pittman, Jonathan W]

This is just supposition, but I suppose if someone tried to say that because they gave a big donation we should run our group a certain way it would definitely interfere with my group’s recovery, but I can’t say for sure because we don’t have any experience with this.  Regarding an anonymous donation that showed up in the mail, I will defer to Bob M on that one because, again, we don’t have any experience with this.

 

Love,

Jon P.

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[Matthew Hamilton]

One major indicator would be controversy caused by the money making activities in regards to the pursuit of money, property, and prestige, as well as the activity becoming a target for misappropriation of NA funds. I have seen both in regards to area conventions over and over. 

I also have pretty strong feelings about fundraising at our functions with things like 50/50 raffles with cash prizes. When the focus of generating funds for NA is distracted by the motivation for personal gain, I think we are on the wrong track. We are a fellowship that by tradition is supposed to be self-supporting. This tells me if we are having to resort to questionable money making strategies to support ourselves, it's time for some real reflection on where we are falling short in self-support and why that is.

In regards to an anonymous donation, that's a tough one. I am eager to here other's thoughts on that.

If a group is struggling to the point they need to consider letting the integrity of the group and NA slip, it may be time to consider closing the doors. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 5, 2015, at 10:16 AM, John Miller <jonn...@comcast.net> wrote:

How do we know when our money making activities begin to interfere with your group's recovery?  How would your group  handle an anonymous donation that showed up in the mail? Would that answer change if the group was barely getting by?

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[peg siemers]

How do we know when our money making activities begin to interfere with your group's recovery?  How would your group  handle an anonymous donation that showed up in the mail? Would that answer change if the group was barely getting by?

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I have no idea about this. My groups have been self supporting. But I know a group that meets in a hall owned by members who live in half the building who regularly have fund-raisers to pay the rent. Have always thought that was kinda "special" but they keep on going.

Peg in Kansas

[bill...@aol.com]

I don't think we actually ever know the effects that some of our money making activities has on our message or our ability to carry it to Newcomers and provide monies back up the recovery structure. Our area has had a local area convention for several years now and I still view the use of Area donations to subsidize this as a violation of our Self Supporting nature and always worry how those funds being lost would be explained if One of those conventions failed to turn a profit.  None of the groups I'm affiliated with has a mailing address for an anonymous donation so I'd be surprised that we would get one Totally Anonymously. If it came from someone wanting to place strings on it then Back it would go...If not then a Group Conscience would be in order and the group's decision would most likely be to return it anyway if I know my Home Group Members as well as I think I do. We've been getting by for over 33 years so I'm pretty sure " Barely " has happened more than once and we never sought outside help.

ODAT

Bill Robbins