“Every WA Group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”
WA Twelve Traditions
Workaholics Anonymous (WA) is a Fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problems and help others to recover from workaholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop working compulsively. There are no dues or fees for WA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.
100% of all contributions support recovery from workaholism.
We are all responsible for our own recovery and for carrying the message to other workaholics. If all of us waited for someone else to facilitate our meetings and pay the costs associated with our local Group’s meeting space or our World Service Organization’s (WSO) publications, our Fellowship would cease to exist – and Recovery as we know it would not be possible.
Whenever a member donates time, money, or energy, that action helps us to achieve our goal of being self-supporting through our own contributions. Giving fosters the belief that we have enough to spare, which can help us to overcome the fears that once drove our frantic behavior. In WA, the spirit of Step Twelve manifests when individual members sponsor each other and accept positions within their WA Groups or with the WSO – as well as when they simply set an example by relaxing or playing. WA Groups and the WSO do, however, also require monetary support to operate. A sound program of personal recovery would be mindful of the various service needs within our Fellowship.
For many recovering workaholics, contributing financially can be a safe alternative to offering other forms of support until serenity and balance are achieved. Whether an individual chooses to contribute, for example, a dollar per meeting to his/her WA Group or the equivalent directly to the WSO on a quarterly basis makes little difference. This is because most WA Groups – after covering rent and basic expenses such as literature and refreshments – send at least a portion of their remaining funds to support the Fellowship as a whole.
The WSO recommends that each Group, through an informed group conscience, adopt a specific contribution plan tailored to meet their unique financial circumstances. The WSO has emphasized that the exact amount or percentage that each Group donates – and the precise frequency with which such support is provided – is less important than the commitment to send something on a regular basis. Such gifts are utilized to cover WSO expenses such as telephone/internet bills, website maintenance fees, and costs associated with meeting support, general outreach, the annual conference, and literature publication and distribution.
Why is it so important to be fully “self-supporting”?
WA is fortunate that our brothers and sisters in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) worked through a number of issues for us. Bill W. and Dr. Bob started AA in the 1930s, initially taking private contributions and hiring management companies and consultants. Unfortunately, in doing so, they started to lose control of the organization. It then became clear that it was vital to the survival of AA’s core principles that they maintain responsibility for the Fellowship. In order to do this, they determined that they ought to decline “outside” financial contributions or influences of any kind.
Other fundamental truths discovered by AA were that independence stimulates member engagement in group recovery, and that allowing individuals to contribute to the Fellowship in whatever ways they choose helps to keep the focus on personal recovery. They made the decision to trust a power greater than themselves, and the result is that AA is now one of the few organizations that is both self-supporting and debt-free.
WA decided to honor AA’s experience by adopting the model of self-support. One day at a time, we choose to count on each other for the resources and the power of the collective to keep our Groups and the WSO service structure intact. The result is a stronger Fellowship and healing support for the workaholic.
Self-support begins with me because I am part of “we,” I am part of my Group, and I am part of WA.
The WSO needs your support to ensure that the message reaches other workaholics in need—both locally and internationally.
What can I do to help?
- Provide financial contributions to your WA Group, to the WSO, or both.
- Sponsor other workaholics.
- Make and return outreach calls.
- Volunteer to read, share, or time-keep at meetings.
- Get to a meeting early to greet newcomers or to help set up.
- Stay at a meeting late to answer newcomer questions or to clean up.
- Accept formal service positions with your WA Group and/or the WSO.
- Contact the WSO to join committees—help with the annual conference, new literature projects, etc.
- Submit “your story” to the WA newsletter.
- Start a face-to-face meeting.
- Distribute flyers/pamphlets in your community.
- Work the Twelve Steps, utilize the Tools of WA—and keep coming back!
How to Contribute
Contributions in all currencies can be made via credit card, debit card, or Paypal from the WA website (www.workaholics-anonymous.org). Contributions from U.S.-based banks can also be made by Venmo through the WA website. You may also donate by mailing a check in U.S. dollars, accompanied by the form from the PDF, to:
WA-WSO
P.O. Box 368
Austin, Texas 78767-0368
U.S.A.
Please make checks payable to “WA-WSO” and make a note of your WA Group/s’ name/s on the memo line of the check.
For U.S.-based donors, contributions are tax-deductible under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!
The WA Twelve Traditions were adapted from the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, © 1939 by AA World Services, Inc. They are reprinted with permission from Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. AA is a program of recovery from alcoholism only and is not affiliated with any other program.