How to Get a Sponsor

Practical field guide a voluntary choice

No one assigns a sponsor

Listen to members’ recovery experience, ask someone directly, and talk together about whether the relationship fits. There is no officer, website, or directory that chooses the right sponsor for you.

The shortest useful version: attend, listen, ask, and discuss expectations.

In the meeting room

Three flexible moves

Look

Attend and listen for experience you respect

Hear different members speak about recovery and how they live the A.A. program. You do not need to decide on a timetable or rank people against one another.

Ask

Use a direct, ordinary question

“Would you be willing and available to sponsor me?”

A yes begins a conversation. A no can simply mean the person is unavailable.

Agree

Talk about how the relationship would work

Discuss contact, availability, expectations, questions, boundaries, meetings, literature, the Steps, and what to do when the sponsor is unavailable.

First-conversation worksheet

Ask plainly. Notice the response.

Ask	Notice
AvailabilityAre you available to sponsor someone now?	Is the answer clear about current availability?
ContactHow do you usually stay in contact?	Can both people speak freely and honestly?
ExpectationsWhat do you expect from someone you sponsor?	Are expectations and boundaries stated clearly?
The programHow do you approach meetings, literature, and the Steps?	Does the person share experience rather than issue commands?
Backup supportWhat should I do when you are unavailable?	Does the relationship connect you with A.A. broadly rather than isolate you?

Permission note

If the fit changes, you may choose another sponsor

The official guide says members are free to select another sponsor with whom they feel more comfortable or believe will be more helpful.

Field guide index

Use the guide that matches the moment

Find somewhere to listen How to Find an AA MeetingChoose a current meeting listing and confirm its details. → Prepare without pressure Your First AA MeetingKnow what to expect while retaining control over what you say and whether you return. → Know the role What Is a Sponsor?Review what a sponsor does, what a sponsor does not do, and the boundaries of the relationship. → Continue the relationship How Sponsorship WorksSee how conversation, shared experience, expectations, and wider A.A. connections fit together. →

Local tool shelf

Continue with meetings or membership

AA Membership and SponsorshipContinue to membership, sponsorship, service, and participation guidance.

AA Meeting FinderSearch current meetings by day, time, region, access, and type.

AA MeetingsOpen the Pittsburgh-area meeting tools.

Source notes

Read the official publications

Cover of Questions and Answers on Sponsorship

P-15 · Conference-approved Questions and Answers on Sponsorship (PDF) Official A.A. guidance about choosing, asking, changing, and understanding sponsors. Open the official PDF ↗

P-24 · Conference-approved A Newcomer Asks (PDF) A compact official companion for early questions about meetings, membership, and participation. Open the official PDF ↗

Source record: Both Conference-approved publications were reviewed August 13, 2026. The worksheet organizes their guidance without creating a required sponsor-selection process.