Group Donations at SMART Recovery
SMART Recovery meetings are always free to attend, however, they are not free to provide.
Group donations help sustain meetings, facilitator training and support, participant resources, outreach, technology, and the systems that help keep SMART available to people who need it.
For in-person meetings, group donations also help cover the direct expenses involved in running the meeting.
As a facilitator, you do not need to become a fundraiser.
Your role is to make the opportunity to support SMART visible, explain why it matters, and allow participants to decide for themselves.
Make the invitation clear. Make the choice theirs.
Quick Links
Group Donations Facilitator Guide
A quick reference for facilitators on asking, collecting, recording, and submitting group donations. Note- you will need your meeting number when submitting your donation.
Group Donation Ledger
Use this to track donations received, meeting expenses, and funds submitted to SMART Recovery. You can optionally track meeting attendance numbers and reflect on the meeting using this file. Do not record meeting attendee names.
Submit a Group Donation
Use the group donation page to send group donations to SMART Recovery.
Our Approach to Group Donations
People cannot support something they do not know they can support.
Some participants may assume that grants or other funding pay for everything SMART Recovery provides. Others may simply never have been told that group donations are welcomed.
A respectful invitation gives participants the information they need to make their own decision.
Asking is not the same as pressuring.
A facilitator can make a clear invitation while protecting autonomy.
A Simple Formula: WHY + INVITATION + CHOICE
A good donation invitation can be very short.
WHY
Connect giving to something real.
“SMART meetings are free, but making meetings, training, resources, and facilitator support available takes financial support.”
INVITATION
Make the opportunity visible.
“If SMART has been useful to you and you’d like to help make it available to others, you’re welcome to make a donation.”
CHOICE
Protect autonomy and belonging.
“Giving is always optional. You are just as welcome here whether or not you donate.”
The choice statement is not an apology. Say it plainly and confidently.
What You Might Say
There is more than one good way to ask. Use language that sounds natural to you.
Short
“SMART meetings are free, and donations help keep them available. If you’re able and would like to support SMART, here’s how.”
Warm
“If SMART has been helpful to you, one way to help make it available to the next person is through a group donation. There’s never any obligation to give.”
Impact-Focused
“Donations help support meetings, train facilitators, provide resources, and expand access to SMART. If you’d like to be part of that, you can donate here.”
Matter-of-Fact
“One quick announcement: we accept voluntary group donations to support SMART Recovery. You can give using the QR code or basket. Giving is always optional.”
A good ask does not have to be eloquent. It should be clear, inviting, and authentic.
Make Donations a Normal Part of the Meeting
The easiest way to make the donation invitation feel natural is to make it part of the regular meeting rhythm.
For an in-person meeting, that might mean mentioning donations during regular announcements or near the end of the meeting and using an approved collection method.
For an online meeting, make the approved donation link or QR code visible and easy to use.
A QR code is a way to give. It is not the ask.
Say the invitation out loud. Participants should not have to guess that support is welcomed.
Keep the Invitation Low-Pressure
Avoid language or practices that could make someone feel judged, obligated, or uncomfortable.
Do not use guilt, shame, or pressure.
Do not compare a donation with what someone spends on coffee, entertainment, substances, or other personal expenses.
Do not spotlight who gives or who does not.
Do not ask someone to explain why they are not giving.
Do not imply that giving is expected.
Do not make participation or belonging seem connected to giving.
Do not make claims about how funds are used unless you know they are accurate.
Instead, explain the opportunity, make the process clear, and allow participants to choose.
In-Person Meetings: Cover Local Expenses First
In-person meetings have real operating expenses.
Group donations should first help cover the reasonable costs of running the meeting.
These may include:
rent or meeting-space fees
appropriate contributions to a host organization
flyers and outreach materials
printing worksheets or meeting handouts
participant handbooks
other reasonable expenses directly related to operating the meeting
The goal is for in-person meetings to be able to sustain their basic operating costs.
Cover legitimate meeting expenses first. Then send the remaining group funds to SMART Recovery USA using the approved group donation process.
You Collected a Group Donation. Now What?
Keep the process simple:
COLLECT → RECORD → SUBMIT
COLLECT
For in-person meetings, group donations may be collected through Venmo, Zelle, a hat or envelope passed around the room, or other approved methods.
RECORD
Keep a simple ledger showing donations received, meeting expenses paid, and funds submitted to SMART Recovery.
The ledger should show the full picture of what came in, what the meeting used locally, and what was sent to SMART Recovery.
SUBMIT
After covering legitimate local meeting expenses, send the remaining group funds to SMART Recovery using one of the approved submission methods.
Refer to the current Group Donations Job Aid or SMART Recovery guidance for available submission options.
Important Tax Note
Group donations submitted to SMART Recovery are not tax-deductible.
Facilitators should not represent locally collected group contributions as tax-deductible individual charitable gifts.
If a participant wants to make an individual donation directly to SMART Recovery, direct them to SMART Recovery’s official individual donation process.
Build a Healthy Culture of Support
A sustainable approach to donations is simple.
INVITE
Make the opportunity visible.
APPRECIATE
Thank people without spotlighting who gave or who did not.
SHOW IMPACT
Periodically connect support to something real.
INVITE AGAIN
Keep the opportunity visible and consistent without pressure.
Support becomes normal when it is part of the relationship, not a last-minute add-on.