Add Homegroup Online contribution links

[FlipperPA]

This adds Homegroup Online group codes to the spec.

[joshreisner]

thanks @FlipperPA brought this to GSO today - they're going to look into it - one thing that would help move it along is if we can find more groups that want to use it

[FlipperPA]

That sounds great, @joshreisner, thank you! I've spoken to Aaron from HGOL and encouraged him to come comment here, as well as treasurers for groups that use it. I think they'd all be keen to see their donation links in Meeting Guide and TSML!

[HomegroupOnline]

Hi @josh-atl-062323 @FlipperPA and Team. Many thanks for exploring this. Here's a quick rundown of HGOL.
Launched in 2018, now in its 7th year of service.
Groups: 100+
Began services for “offices” mid/late 2024.
Several districts, intergroups, retreats/picnics, and one Area Assembly are using HGOL.
One Area treasurer (NC Area 51) has toured HGOL and is presenting to their Area.
Annual 2024 numbers:
cash 7th $17,839.79
checks 7th $10,835.76
Zelle 7th $35,501.80
PayPal 7th $9,864.09
Woo (CHASE) $1,146.12 (net)
Stripe 7th $14,743.24
Venmo 7th $11,232.05

2024 total 7th in = $ 101,162.85

2024 pmts to GSO $17,551.78
2024 pmts to OIAA $5,171.83

2025:
Jan & Feb 2025 show about $17,000 (gross) per month projecting $203,000 gross contributions for 2025.
Jan 01 thru Mar 15 shows about $18,000 monthly average, so $203,000 is a sustained projection, not including growth throughout the year.
Hope this helps! -Aaron B. (480) 861-7205

[FlipperPA]

Thanks for being so transparent with the information, @HomegroupOnline - this will be a big help. I think you meant to tag @joshreisner.

I've gotten a few testimonials emailed to me from treasurers too:

"My name is Amy B. from The Way Out group, an open online AA meeting that meets every Monday morning from 10 am CDT to 11 am CDT. We use Homegroup.online to collect and distribute our 7th Tradition contributions. Our group would like to request that our link to our contribution page is included in our meeting listing on the meeting guide app." - Amy B.

"We just started working with Homegroup Online... I do appreciate the wonderful support from Aaron B. and I feel curious about how this will work for our small and unusual group. Thanks again for your service." - Sandra K.

[FlipperPA]

Another came in:

"A button to our 'Moms In Recovery' seventh tradition hosted on HomeGroup Online would be wonderful! Thank you." - Veneta J.

[FlipperPA]

I received another testimonial:

I'm Jeff, one of the founders of When We Retire at Night, an online meeting created in March of 2020 at the start of the pandemic: https://aa-intergroup.org/meetings/when-we-retire-at-night/

Homegroup.Online has been with us from the start, and through our massive growth. HGOL has provided a simple way to collect and distribute 7th tradition and rotate in new treasurers. It’s exciting that the Meeting Guide is considering having HGOL become a part of their App. Our members would surely find it a useful addition.

To date, When We Retire at Night has grown to be a worldwide meeting:

1,831 meetings since inception.
1,600 active members (over 11,000 visitors and past members), from over 30 countries, touching hundreds of thousands of lives.

Thank you for the Meeting Guide… it has become such a wonderful way to find meetings when I travel!

• Jeff C.

[joshreisner]

hey @FlipperPA i talked to GSO and we should be good to move forward -- we're agreed in principle to add these links to the spec and code for recovery projects, and that the app will eventually add support. (no firm eta on when that will be.)

before we go, i want to quickly consider the naming - is hgol preferable to homegroup_online? i feel like the latter would be clearer. we don't have any other keys that are initialisms. i don't think the longer name would add much to the overall transfer weight of the feed when the response is gzipped.

[FlipperPA]

@joshreisner Fantastic news, thank you! I just got a few more testimonials, but figured we probably had enough info. I agree that homegroup_online is better, I will amend the PR.