Hi all!
Our finance committee met thrice during Q4 of 2024. During those meetings, our committee discussed the following:
- Sound Storage. In Q3 of 2023, our Finance Committee had taken a poll of Area trusted servants to see how much collective equipment we have dispersed among our Electeds, Appointeds, and technology committee. Sound alone had enough for a 5’ x 6’ storage unit, though he didn’t need to have additional storage for it. In Q4 of 2023, our Finance Committee began a discussion about whether lack of storage space was a barrier to service, especially for our Sound person because of how much equipment they were responsible for. We talked about whether we could ask the Sound person to use the existing storage unit in Lakewood, but realized that depending on where that person lived it could be hours away from their home, adding an additional barrier to performing service. We decided to table the discussion until the end of the rotation because it wasn’t a problem to discuss at the time. This conversation resumed in Q4 of 2024. During that discussion, we concluded that a storage unit local to our Area Sound person made sense given the need for that person to transport the equipment to Area events. We also concluded that it would not be prudent to have two Area storage units. The incoming Sound person confirmed a need for a local storage unit and Archives confirmed that they would only need their storage until through March 2025. We budgeted the cost of the new storage unit into the 2025 budget, allowing for a brief three month overlap.
- Mileage Rate. Since 1989 we have (by motion) funded our trusted servants’ travel based on the current IRS mileage rate. We talked about how we had greatly exceeded our Area’s misc. travel budget and whether or not we could reduce our reimbursement rate from the full IRS business rate to the IRS non-profit rate. We discovered that our Area had a lengthy discussion about this in 2009 and voted on a motion to reduce the reimbursed rate from the full IRS business rate to ⅔ the prevailing IRS rate; the motion failed. Because we reimburse the full rate by motion, it is outside the ability of the finance committee to make any changes.
- 2024 Expenses and GSO Distribution. In early December, we reviewed the anticipated actual expenses versus anticipated contributions and speculated we would have more expenses than contributions in 2024. We looked at what was contributing to our actual expenses being higher than our budget and actual contributions. We noted that we were able to use our Working Reserve for Area-related service expenses, which was appropriate, since it isn’t a Prudent Reserve, and that we did tremendous work in Area 72. Although we initially decided to pause purchasing final Corrections-requested literature and moved our last and only in-person scheduled finance committee meeting to Zoom so that we could reduce travel expenses, after we established our working reserve at 12% and saw that we had money from our 2024 Working Reserve available to send to GSO, we unanimously agreed to purchase the outstanding Corrections Literature orders before sending the remaining balance to GSO so that we could bring the greatest good to alcoholics in Area 72. The amount we sent to GSO is $3,425.42.
- 2025 Budget. We reviewed the budget created by our Treasurer during working meetings with the outgoing Alt Treasurer, incoming Alt Treasurer, and incoming Treasurer. We looked at each budget line carefully as a committee and how each amount was determined. We concluded that the 2025 budget was sound and supported the motion-driven services. We talked about the costs of the newsletter and that our Area has moved away from and beyond the original intention of the newsletter. We speculated that if we returned to the original intention, we could reduce our newsletter budget by ⅓. Our Finance Committee unanimously approved the 2025 budget with the reduced newsletter budget.
- 2025 Working Reserve. One year ago, our Finance Committee set a working reserve of 18% ($30,000). We worked on creating a definition of working reserve to suggest for the handbook so that we would have clarity about what that term means to Area 72. We presented this to the Area body in October: Area 72 defines the term Working Reserve to be: Monies set aside to help cover our motion-driven and contractual expenses, especially during but not limited to the first quarter of the year, which may need to be paid before sufficient contributions to the Area are received. The minimum amount for the working reserve is calculated based on motion 18.1, adjusted by the Finance Committee if needed, and approved at the January Quarterly each year. We believe that we have now had a full year of what we believe will be the new normal, post-Covid shut down years, and do not see the need for the same cautious amount of working reserve as last year. For 2025, our Finance Committee unanimously agreed to establish a 12% working reserve.
Please reach out to our new Alternate Treasurer, Derek N., with your service resume if you want to be considered for the Panel 75 Finance Committee at alttreasurer@area72aa.org. It was such a great experience serving as Chair of the Panel 73 Finance Committee. This is a steering committee that allows for the development of a deep understanding of the 7th tradition in action. I highly recommend participating in it!
Lisa S
Panel 73 Area 72 Alternate Treasurer
(206) 949-1875
Call for Resumes for Finance Committee (Derek N.)
All DCMs are requested to please reach out to the Alternate Treasurer, Derek N., with your service resume if you want to be considered for the Panel 75 Finance Committee at alttreasurer@area72aa.org.
2025 Area Budget – Theresa H.
| Western Washington Area 72 2025 Budget | ||||
| 2025 Budget | 2024 Actual | 2024 Budget | ||
| Contributions 4000 Contributions Income 4010 Conferences, Roundups, Committees 4020 Districts – Mail-In Contributions 4021 Districts – Online Contributions 4030 Groups – Mail-In Contributions 4031 Groups – Online Contributions 4040 Individual/Anniversary – Mail-In Contributions 4041 Individual/Anniversary – Online Contributions | 0.00 28,367.00 5,344.46 108,103.23 37,298.02 1,024.25 2,363.03 | 0.00 27,233.62 5,130.93 103,784.04 35,807.80 983.33 2,268.62 | 0.00 29,314.16 6,130.67 112,356.28 26,623.39 1,506.26 1,069.24 | |
| Total 4000 Contributions Income | $ 182,500.00 | $ 175,208.34 | $ 177,000.00 | |
| 4100 Area Event Income 4110 Assembly Excess Funds (04.1) 4130 Quarterly Excess Funds | 0.00 0.00 | 482.32 2,042.44 | 0.00 0.00 | |
| Total 4100 Area Event Income | $ 0.00 | $ 2,524.76 | $ 0.00 | |
| 4200 Service Materials 4220 Newsletter Subscriptions 4230 OSD – Area History Book | 0.00 0.00 | 45.00 7,700.00 | 0.00 0.00 | |
| Total 4200 Service Materials | $ 0.00 | $ 7,745.00 | $ 0.00 | |
| Cost of Goods Sold 5010 OSD III – Cost of Goods Sold | 0.00 | 7,700.00 | 0.00 | |
| Total Cost of Goods Sold | $ 0.00 | $ 7,700.00 | $ 0.00 | |
| Gross Profit | $ 182,500.00 | $ 177,778.10 | $ 177,000.00 | |
| Expenses 6000 General Operating Expenses 6010 Archives Rent, Utilities and Operating Exps. 6012 Area Storage 6015 Ad-hoc/Check In Meeting Expenses 6017 Quarterly/Assembly Meeting Expenses 6020 Bank Fees and Charges 6025 Bank Disputes/Refunds 6030 Computers and A/V Equipment 6040 Elected Officer Unallocated (18.4) 6050 Insurance 6051 Variable Budget/Miscellaneous Expenses 6053 Newsletter Printing & Bulk Mailing 6054 Office Supplies 6055 Area PO Box 6060 Printing and Copying 6085 Tax, Accounting and Professional Fees 6095 Software, Web, and Tech 6096 Virtual Meeting Platforms | 27,650.00 1,500.00 400.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,950.00 3,000.00 2,708.00 8,659.00 20,000.00 300.00 450.00 7,000.00 1,750.00 1,250.00 5,020.00 | 27,904.29 1,417.45 478.90 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,964.31 2,402.30 2,463.00 6,522.83 29,709.22 1,248.64 216.00 7,558.90 1,691.22 1,250.65 5,492.17 | 24,650.00 1,500.00 400.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,500.00 3,000.00 2,074.00 8,269.00 21,300.00 500.00 300.00 11,035.00 1,600.00 3,110.00 4,850.00 | |
| Total 6000 General Operating Expenses | $ 81,637.00 | $ 93,319.88 | $ 84,088.00 | |
| 6100 Assembly Costs 6110 Assembly Lodging 6120 Assembly Meals 6130 Assembly Mileage 6140 Assembly Registration | 9,300.00 6,720.00 2,500.00 1,728.00 | 9,222.20 6,491.38 3,817.32 1,705.00 | 11,462.00 5,730.00 2,200.00 2,040.00 | |
| Total 6200 Quarterly Costs | $ 20,248.00 | $ 21,235.90 | $ 21,432.00 | |
| Western Washington Area 72 2025 Budget | ||||
| 6200 Quarterly Costs 6210 Quarterly Lodging 6220 Quarterly Meals 6230 Quarterly Mileage 6240 Quarterly Registration | 9,900.00 5,850.00 3,200.00 2,340.00 | 8,118.16 3,526.43 2,801.29 2,080.00 | 8,400.00 2,000.00 2,500.00 1,750.00 | |
| Total 6200 Quarterly Costs | $ 21,290.00 | $ 16,525.88 | $ 14,650.00 | |
| 6300 Delegate Costs 6310 Delegate Report 6320 General Service Conference 6330 Pacific Regional Forum (80.3) 6340 PNC (Delegate Only) (15.1) 6350 PRAASA (71.5) | 500.00 5,400.00 0.00 0.00 1,869.00 | 794.08 5,400.00 1,137.44 734.62 1,186.69 | 750.00 6,150.00 1,400.00 700.00 1,250.00 | |
| Total 6300 Delegate Costs | $ 7,769.00 | $ 9,252.83 | $ 10,250.00 | |
| 6400 Other Travel 6410 Misc. Travel (17.1) 6415 National AA Corrections Workshop (19.3) 6420 National AA Technology Workshop (19.3) 6425 National A.A. Archives Workshop (19.3) 642_ National BTG A.A. Workshop (19.3) 6430 PreAssembly (17.2) 6440 PreConference (17.2) 6450 Standing Committee Quarterlies (17.1) | 4,500.00 1,836.00 1,425.00 1,880.00 1,250.00 2,250.00 400.00 1,000.00 | 5,194.08 1,555.22 1,045.84 2,860.46 0.00 2,022.31 354.64 450.99 | 2,000.00 1,375.00 2,850.00 3,420.00 0.00 1,550.00 650.00 1,000.00 | |
| Total 6400 Other Travel | $ 14,541.00 | $ 13,483.54 | $ 12,845.00 | |
| 6500 Standing Committees 6510 Accessibility Committee 6530 Cooperation w/ Professional Community 6540 Corrections 6545 Corrections Literature (14.2) 6550 Grapevine & Literature 6560 Archives 6565 Young Peoples (19.1) 6570 Public Information 6580 Treatment 6585 Treatment Literature (17.5) 6590 Web | 200.00 200.00 200.00 8,000.00 200.00 200.00 200.00 200.00 200.00 900.00 200.00 | 0.00 137.26 100.85 7,004.45 0.00 0.00 200.00 0.00 0.00 871.00 0.00 | 200.00 200.00 200.00 8,000.00 200.00 200.00 200.00 200.00 200.00 725.00 200.00 | |
| Total 6500 Standing Committees | $ 10,700.00 | $ 8,313.56 | $ 10,525.00 | |
| 6600 Steering Committees 6605 Archives Steering 6610 Language Steering 6615 Assmbly/Qtly Interp & Transltn (17.4) 6620 Committee Budget (17.3) 6625 Newsletter Translation (18.5) | 1,500.00 12,300.00 8,515.00 2,500.00 | 3,207.05 13,303.97 6,509.73 2,449.00 | 3,000.00 11,100.00 8,250.00 2,060.00 | |
| Total 6610 Language Steering | $ 23,315.00 | $ 22,262.70 | $ 21,410.00 | |
| 6680 Technology Steering 6690 Web Steering 6699 Steering Committee Meeting Rent | 0.00 0.00 0.00 | 0.00 0.00 0.00 | 0.00 0.00 0.00 | |
| Total 6600 Steering Committees | $ 24,815.00 | $ 25,469.75 | $ 24,410.00 | |
| 6700 Area Event Net Loss Expense 6900 Uncategorized Expense 6950 On-line Transaction Fees | 0.00 0.00 1,500.00 | 0.00 40.61 1,181.99 | 0.00 0.00 1,000.00 | |
| Total Expenses | $ 182,500.00 | $ 188,823.94 | $ 179,200.00 | |
Open for discussion and questions regarding the 2025 Budget:
- Rose – What hard questions are you referring to regarding the newsletter?
- Theresa H., Area Treasurer – We have some time set aside today that will be dedicated to just that.
- Nate L., DCM District 41 – Could you clarify what caused the $8,400.00 increase in cost for the newsletter?
- Theresa H., Area Treasurer – Cost of printing went up more than we expected.
- Lisa J., DCM District 24 – What is meant by virtual platforms?
- Derek S., Area Chair – Zoom accounts for each of our elected and appointed trusted servants.
- Lisa J., DCM District 24 – What is the current milage reimbursement?
- Theresa H., Area Treasurer – It is .67 per mile, going up to .70 per mile in 2025.
- Ganelle H., Alt DCM District 41 – Was anything indexed for inflation in 2025?
- Derek S., Area Chair – Where we could we took the actuals for 2024 and added 3%.
- Patty S., Outgoing District 25 Treasurer– Why is there nothing budgeted for PNC and the Pacific Regional Forum?
- Theresa H., Area Treasurer – They are not happening in 2025 because of the International.
- Patty S., Outgoing District 25 Treasurer – Do all the standing committees have zoom accounts?
- Theresa H., Area Treasurer – Yes.
- Mike D., DCM District 10 – Are the costs of assemblies lodging and meals based on what was originally bid, or actual costs?
- Theresa H., Area Treasurer – We do out best to find the actual costs and get as close as possible.
- Mike D., DCM District 10 – Area the numbers in parentheses on the budget motion numbers?
- Theresa H., Area Treasurer – Yes.
Motion to approve the 2025 Budget Moved by District: 1, 2nd by District: 14, Passed
