How the book works
After each meeting, enter the basket: the cash you counted and any digital contributions. Enter bills when you pay them and contributions when you send them.
The prudent reserve is the cushion your group keeps for rent and other basics. Set in months, it uses the average of the last three full months of expenses, rounded up to a whole amount. What is above it, less money held for bills due, can go to service. The split always adds up to the cent: any odd cent goes to the share that was rounded down the most.
Before the business meeting, pick the month and press Print report. An empty book prints a blank report to fill in by hand. Every change saves on this device as you type.
Example: a month opens with $504.20. Four baskets bring in $324.55 and two Big Books sell for $24. Rent, coffee, literature and chips cost $251.01, leaving $601.74. With a $500 reserve, the $101.74 above it splits by AA's sample plan as $10.18 to the district, $10.17 to the area, $30.52 to the GSB and $50.87 to intergroup. Open this example
Where the sample plans come from
AA's pamphlet Self-Support: Where Money and Spirituality Mix (F-3) suggests 10% to the district, 10% to the area committee, 30% to the General Service Board and 50% to intergroup or central office. Where there is no intergroup, it suggests 40% district, 30% area and 30% GSB. NA's IP #28, Funding NA Services shows 50% area, 25% region and 25% NA World Services as one possible model. ACA's banking procedure suggests 60% intergroup and 40% WSO. These are samples. Your group conscience sets the plan.
The page has no mailing addresses built in, since an old address would send money to the wrong place. Check the current ones on AA's contributions page, NA World Services' contribute page, Al-Anon's contributions page or ACA's online contributions page, and ask your district, area or intergroup for theirs.
Questions treasurers ask
How big should our prudent reserve be?
Your group decides. AA's leaflet The A.A. Group Treasurer says most groups try to keep at least one to three months' operating expenses. NA's IP #28 says often a month's rent or expenses. Set it as months of expenses or as a fixed amount your group voted on.
How do we split the money above the reserve?
By your group conscience. AA's pamphlet Self-Support gives two samples: 10% district, 10% area, 30% GSB and 50% intergroup, or 40% district, 30% area and 30% GSB where there is no intergroup. Pick a sample or type your group's own shares.
How do I record Venmo, PayPal or other digital contributions?
Type them in the Digital box for the same meeting as the basket. The report shows cash and digital separately, so the cash matches what you deposit and the digital matches the app's statement.
What goes in a monthly treasurer's report?
The balance at the start of the month, what came in, what was paid out, what was sent to service, the closing balance, the prudent reserve and what is above it. The printed report also lists every entry, with a line for the treasurer to sign.
How do I hand the books to the next treasurer?
Press Download handover file and give the file to the new treasurer with the cash, the bank statements and the receipts. They open this page and press Open handover file. The whole book comes across, including the plan and where each contribution is sent.
Does it store anything about our members?
No. It never asks for a name, and the notes are for things like "4 Big Books". The book stays in this browser on this device. Nothing is uploaded, so keep a handover file as a backup.
Does it work for NA, Al-Anon, ACA or other groups?
Yes. Pick your fellowship under Your group to get its service names and sample split: NA's area, region and world services, ACA's intergroup and WSO, Al-Anon's district, AIS, area and WSO. You can rename any of them.
Sources: AA's The A.A. Group Treasurer (F-96), Self-Support (F-3) and A.A. Guidelines on Finance (MG-15); NA's Group Treasurer's Workbook and IP #28; Al-Anon's Starting an Al-Anon Group (G-12). This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, ACA or any other fellowship.