It appears that this group asks for contributions from the public -- AA groups I've attended don't. They often observe a "7th Tradition" -- "each group should be self-supporting" and "decline outside contributions." Why doesn't this group?

Thank you for your question Ruthanne Roussel, Since DDA's inception in 2005 we are and always have been a 501-C3 Nonprofit/ Consumer Ran Organization that uses a customized version of the 12 steps with and added +5 steps for mental illness as well as a customized version of the 12 Traditions. With the permission of AA, our customized version of the 12 steps and twelve tradition works differently. If not for our partnerships/stake holders, DDA of Oregon as well as World services would not have grown into the success that it is today. In our literature, Tradition number 7 states that: "DDA, as such, ought to exercise extreme caution and diligence in accepting outside contributions or other sources of funding, lest we be distracted from our primary purpose. Every local chapter of DDA should strive to be self-supporting." There are other differences as well, such as cross talk is permitted and choosing "NOT" to be anonymous as well... Thank you for your question.

Thank you for your detailed response. I will certainly look into it. Just in case anyone is wondering, AA itself doesn't have a rule about "cross talk" and this word doesn't appear in the AA Big Book or the AA 12 Steps. Some individual AA meetings and events do have a rule like that, but others don't.