Suggested Temporary Sponsorship Guidelines

The following are Northwest Debtors Anonymous suggested temporary sponsorship guidelines.


They are intended as guidance to members who are volunteering to serve as temporary sponsors. Temporary sponsors can determine if or when to use them. They are suggestions only. Temporary sponsors and their sponsees can structure their relationship as best they see fit. There is no prescribed way to sponsor in our program. 

These guidelines are approved by Northwest DA Intergroup. They are not World Service Conference approved. Currently, there are no official conference-approved temporary sponsorship guidelines at the fellowship level. They are informed by suggestions from other fellowships, discussions at the local and World Service Conference level, and the experience, strength and hope of local DA members with sponsorship experience. 

Temporary sponsorship is a time-limited relationship to help newcomers and others to engage in the program of Debtors Anonymous while finding a long-term sponsor. If you choose to take on this form of service, thank you!! It is essential in connecting others to the program, to their recovery and to your recovery. Please acknowledge the temporary sponsee for their courage reaching out and asking for support in working the program!

All sponsorship is an individual agreement between sponsor and sponsee about how to provide support and work the program. We suggest a 30 day initial duration. Here are Northwest DA’s suggested guidelines on how to serve as a temporary sponsor.

  1. Introduce temporary sponsee to DA’s 12 steps, traditions and DA principles.
  2. Encourage temporary sponsee to attend as many meetings as possible. Listen to other DA members share their experience, strength and hope (ESH).
  3. Direct sponsee to website (*) and literature: the DA 3x12 and/or The 12 Steps of DA pamphlet, Newcomer’s Packet, 15 Questions*, Sponsorship* pamphlet. 
  4. Explain the DA Tools and jargon. 
  5. Be available to take temporary sponsee check-in calls.
  6. Encourage temporary sponsee to make check-in calls to other members.
  7. Guide in beginning record keeping, possibly using The Numbers Approach. Introduce sponsee to the idea of DA income and spending categories.
  8. Ask sponsee to read the Sponsorship pamphlet. 
  9. Encourage/assist sponsee in finding ongoing sponsor. Suggest they listen for “you have what I want“ as a factor in asking for ongoing sponsorship. Direct sponsee to available sponsors. Encourage them to ask people at meetings who say they are available for their phone numbers. Encourage them to ask members even if they have not raised their hands as available. Encourage them to not lose hope if they are turned down. Let them know they don’t have to have the perfect sponsor. They just need to get started working the steps.
  10. Have sponsee begin reading and journaling about Step 1.
  11. Help temporary sponsee set up their first PRG.
  12. Suggest a 30 day temporary sponsorship duration to encourage active search.


There are no hard and fast rules about procedures in sponsorship. Everyone sponsors according to their own experience of being sponsored, their experience, strength and hope in the program, personality, and schedule. It is strongly recommended that you have a conversation to clarify sponsor and sponsee expectations of the relationship.

Temporary sponsorship is time limited. Sometimes temporary sponsors may become longer term sponsors, but there is no expectation of long-term sponsorship. All sponsorship in a sense is temporary. It lasts for as long as it works for both sponsor and sponsee. Many of us have had multiple sponsors over our time in the program. Each sponsor is like a cobblestone in our recovery path.

Thanks again for serving as temporary sponsor!

Northwest Debtors Anonymous

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