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Topic #049/2025
Sunsetting of donation ‘clubs’
What do you want Conference to do?
That the General Service Conference approve the discontinuation of the Birthday Club, Action Club, and 300 Club as official AA contribution initiatives, ceasing their promotion through all AA channels. While existing participants may continue to contribute, no new members are to be invited or encouraged to join.
What issue does this proposal address?
The 300 club and action club do not provide any service or benefit to the person making those donations – they do not receive anything in return and there is no club per se. The birthday club encourages members to donate $2 for each year of sobriety, and in return the GSO sends them a physical birthday card by post. This proposal addresses the need for clarity, relevance, and efficiency in how AA encourages and receives member contributions. The Birthday Club, Action Club, and 300 Club were once meaningful ways to support AA financially; however, participation in these programs has steadily declined over recent years, suggesting they no longer resonate with the wider Fellowship.
While well-intentioned, programs that link donations to symbolic recognition — such as club membership — may unintentionally introduce an element of personal prestige or reward. Tradition 7 encourages contributions to be voluntary and spiritually motivated, free from expectation or status. Concept 9 also cautions against any suggestion of special distinction within our service structure, reminding us that AA leadership is a function, not a position of power or recognition. Maintaining these named “clubs” may confuse this message, especially for newer members, and can inadvertently signal that some contributions are more valued than others.
By sunsetting these programs, we simplify our messaging, reduce administrative burden, and open the way for more inclusive, group-driven, and spiritually aligned methods of contribution that better reflect our Traditions and current Fellowship practice.
Background information that supports this proposal
Birthday club was created in 1972 and Action Club was created in 1986 and have largely remained unchanged. 300 Club was implemented in 2019/2020 as a short-term measure to raise funds to increase the GSO prudent reserve. From the financial statements of the past 5 years the contributions to these clubs is as follows.
