7th Tradition Virtual Basket
Being that many of our meetings are now online and we can’t physically “pass the basket”, we are looking into ways to virtually pass the basket and maintain our 7th Tradition.
Many groups across the country that are holding virtual AA meetings are now offering a Virtual Basket for collecting their 7th tradition. There is a good amount of information available online about setting up a virtual basket. Depending on which online payment service you use, the steps to make a contribution vary, but essentially information is posted in the Chat window of the Zoom meeting and directs you from there.
Online payment services:
Venmo– Requires users to have the Venmo app and set up a Venmo account. Also seems to be geared to work with social networking and users have to be mindful of privacy settings.
Zelle– Requires app and account. Works in conjunction with credit union or specific banks.
PayPal– Pretty easy to set up and use. Users can contribute online. Does not require an app (though one is available) and does not require a PayPal account for the contributor.
Just about every service charges a fee to use a credit card (about 3% + $0.30 per transaction). Debit cards or direct withdrawal do not have a fee.
My home group uses PayPal for its virtual basket. The process of making a contribution is straightforward and simple for the contributor. The only requirements to set up a PayPal business account is an EIN, a bank account, and an email (recommend a group email account). Once set up, a sharable internet link is created that opens the group “Donate Page” online. This link can be posted in the Chat window for contributors to use. Donations are received into the PayPal account and can then be transferred to the group checking account by the treasurer.
Attached are some resources I used in my research. If you have further questions, please contact me.
Christoph
A46 Treasurer