The majority of our meetings are held in churches, but other facilities may also be available i.e. hospitals, libraries, community buildings, NCADD (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence) facilities, and others. It is important to find a location that views your meetings as a service to the community. You need to be willing to discuss what you can afford with the facility management. Be cautious of a facility that will only rent out space for a set fee. A set price per month can seem insurmountable during meeting startup or periods of low attendance. Many facilities will simply ask for donations or a percentage of monies collected rather than expect a certain amount every month.
Other factors to consider when looking for a facility/location are:
- Ease of finding facility from major highways and intersections
- Parking availability during meeting time
- Ease of finding meeting room from parking area
- Attractiveness and comfort of meeting area
- Availability of a small storage space for meeting materials
- Potential for growth as your meeting attendance grows
When considering a viable location, you also want to consider the ‘day of the week’ that you will hold the new meeting as well as the ‘meeting time’. If there are other meetings in the area, you might want to have the meeting on a different day so that you won’t be competing for the same potential members. When considering a meeting time, it is suggested that you pick a time that is convenient for the majority of people that might attend i.e. early evening during the week or during the day on the weekend.
Some facilities will require a Certificate of Insurance. If a Certificate of Insurance is needed for your meeting location, you can contact the WSO via:
WSO Contact Page
They will be happy to provide the Certificate of Insurance for you. They will send the owners of the facility this document as well as update it as required.
Next Section – Financial