GSO Contribution – Letter – Address Update

Dear A.A. Friends,

First and foremost, thank you for your participation in our Seventh Tradition with contributions to the General Service Board. Our co-founder Bill W. posed the question, where do A.A.’s services fit into our scheme of things and why should we provide these functions with money? His answer was simple and still holds true today, that “Every single A.A. service is designed to make more and better Twelfth Step work possible, whether it be a group meeting place, a central or intergroup office…or the world service Headquarters.” It is with this spirit that the General Service Office (G.S.O.) supports your efforts to carry the message of hope to the still-suffering alcoholic.

For decades, all correspondence to G.S.O., including our contributions, have been sent to Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163. Over the years, Box 459 became such an integral part of A.A. that we named the G.S.O. newsletter after it.

Now, your office and board are excited to announce that we are embracing a new method of processing our Seventh Tradition contributions that will reduce costs, ultimately allowing for more investment in services to members and groups. To this end, we are excited to announce that a separate post office box has been established for Seventh Tradition contributions only. This change will enable us to process contributions much more efficiently and at a significant savings to the Fellowship.

Effective immediately, please send contribution checks to: Post Office Box 2407

James A Farley Station New York, NY 10116-2407

Over the next few months, we will be updating and reprinting our contribution envelopes and literature to reflect this change. To help this change be embraced as fully and quickly as possible, we ask for your assistance in sharing this information with fellow A.A. members and groups.

We have tried to anticipate and answer questions you may have about this change. If you do not see your question below, please contact our Member Services team for assistance at memberservices@aa.org or 212-870-3023.

Why is this change necessary?

Opening contributions envelopes, scanning the contents, and depositing the checks in the bank requires two to three full-time staff and a significant amount of time. To save time and money, we are outsourcing this work to our bank which has the specialized equipment and personnel to perform these tasks more quickly and at a lower cost. The bank requires that we use a unique post office box number for this service.

How will the bank uphold the Seventh Tradition?

After the contribution is scanned but before it is deposited, the bank will make the scan available to our office staff who will verify that the contribution comes from an A.A. member or group. For each contribution, staff will instruct the bank to either process the deposit or return it to the submitter if it is determined not to be from a member or group.

How will the bank assure the anonymity of Fellowship members?

The bank has physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that meet federal standards for keeping your information safe from unauthorized access or use. Information is protected with 128-bit encryption.

Is this new post office box number for all correspondence with the G.S.O.?

No, this new post office box is only for contributions. Please continue to send literature orders and correspondence to Post Office Box 459, New York, NY 10163-0459.

What happens if I accidentally send a contribution to Box 459?

The contribution will be forwarded to the G.S.O. mailroom which will forward it to the new box number. Your contribution will still be received, deposited, and acknowledged, but the process will take longer and be more costly.

What happens if I accidentally send a literature order or a letter to the new box number?

The bank will send the envelope to the G.S.O.

Are there any other ways I can help reduce contributions processing time and cost?

Yes, there are two ways you can reduce contributions processing time and cost:
1. Make your contribution online at www.aa.org using a major credit card or PayPal.
2. Provide an email address with your contribution. This enables us to acknowledge your

contribution promptly and saves A.A. the cost of acknowledgement printing, mailing, and postage.

For more information, please contact our Member Services team at memberservices@aa.org or 212-870-3023.

In fellowship,

Bob W.
General Manager