What Cocaine Anonymous World Services does

Cocaine Anonymous World Services (CAWSO, Incorporated; legal entity in Arizona) is the central service organization of a Twelve-Step Fellowship founded in 1985 for individuals recovering from cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. The fellowship adapts the Twelve-Step recovery program from Alcoholics Anonymous with reprint permission and operates under the principle that 'the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.' Its sole headquarters is the World Service Office (CAWSO) at 11460 N. Cave Creek Road, Suite 12, Phoenix, AZ, with a staff sized between 1 and 10 employees. The organization is governed by a World Service Conference and a World Service Board of Trustees, with a hierarchical service structure of Groups, Districts, Areas, and Regions operating across 40+ countries.

The fellowship's core offerings are (1) in-person meetings organized through the global Group/District/Area/Region hierarchy in 33+ listed geographies; (2) CA Online, an Online Service Area providing 24/7/365 unlimited seating for virtual meetings plus Online Independent Meetings; and (3) official C.A. literature including starter kits, key tags, sobriety chips, the quarterly NewsGram newsletter, and pamphlets covering topics such as LGBTQ+ recovery, deaf outreach, and the first 30 days. Supporting infrastructure includes a Meeting Finder, an H&I (Hospitals and Institutions) Committee, a Public Information Committee, and a CA Virtual Museum archive. Registered trademarks cover the 'Cocaine Anonymous' name, the 'We're Here and We're Free' phrase, and the C.A. logo.

The business model is non-commercial and donation-based. There are no dues or fees for membership; members contribute voluntarily under the 7th Tradition to cover rent, coffee, literature, and service expenses, with newcomers explicitly not obligated to contribute. Additional revenue comes from literature sales (chips, key tags, pamphlets, starter kits) and event registration fees for the annual World Service Convention ($125 full registration, $45 basic, $50 banquet) and regional events such as PNRC 2026 (CAD $150). Distribution occurs via the CAWSO Phoenix office and a UK distribution node, with orders placed by phone or email. The organization's marketing approach is community- and word-of-mouth-driven, anchored by ca.org, hospital and institution outreach, and PR via the Public Information Committee.

Name

Cocaine Anonymous World Services

Legal name

Cocaine Anonymous World Services Office, Incorporated

Website

https://ca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cocaine Anonymous World Services is a nonprofit Twelve-Step fellowship, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, that serves individuals recovering from cocaine and other mind-altering substance addiction through peer-support meetings, a 24/7 online service, and literature across 40+ countries, funded by voluntary member contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Twelve-step recovery fellowship
• Addiction recovery support
• Peer support meetings
• Recovery literature distribution
• Sobriety support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Member Contributions (7th Tradition): Voluntary contributions collected at meetings to cover expenses such as coffee, rent, literature, and services to help those still suffering. No dues or fees for membership.
2. Literature Sales: Sale of C.A. literature including meeting formats, chips, key tags, pamphlets, and books. Starter kits available for new groups.
3. Event Registration: Registration fees for conventions and area events, such as the 2026 World Convention ($125 full registration).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cocaine Anonymous World Services is a Twelve Step fellowship that supports individuals recovering from cocaine and other mind-altering substance addiction through peer-run meetings, both in-person and online, in over 40 countries. The fellowship distributes recovery literature, sobriety chips and key tags, starter kits for new groups, and a quarterly newsletter, and organizes area, regional, and world conventions.

Product overview

Cocaine Anonymous World Services operates as a fellowship organization (not a technology company) providing a platform of recovery resources centered on the Twelve-Step program. The core offerings include C.A. Literature (official publications and pamphlets), a Meeting Finder directory (covering 33+ countries), and CA Online (24/7 virtual meetings). Supporting offerings include Starter Kits for new groups, Key Tags and Chips for sobriety milestones, the quarterly NewsGram newsletter, annual World Service Conventions, Service Documents for download, and H&I resources for institutional outreach. The organization is self-supporting through member contributions and does not operate commercial technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• C.A. Literature Official publications and pamphlets including the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, newcomer guides, meeting formats, and recovery literature such as Hope, Faith and Courage volumes, sold to members, groups, and the public.
• CA Online (Online Service Area) 24/7/365 virtual meeting platform offering unlimited seating for online C.A. meetings, including Online Independent Meetings, accessible to members worldwide.
• Starter Kit for New Groups Package containing literature, chips, and suggested meeting formats with optional readings, provided to individuals starting new C.A. meetings.
• Key Tags and Chips Sobriety tokens and key tags ordered through CAWSO and UK distribution to commemorate recovery milestones for members.
• Cocaine Anonymous NewsGram Quarterly newsletter publication featuring articles from the fellowship, available in PDF format to members and the public.
• World Service Convention Annual international convention bringing together C.A. members globally for recovery, unity, and fellowship, with multi-tier registration pricing for the 2026 World Convention and regional conventions.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)foundationalOthersC.A. gratefully borrows the Twelve-Step program of recovery from Alcoholics Anonymous. The Twelve Steps of C.A. are adapted from the original AA steps. This borrowing is acknowledged and appreciated, with permission to reprint the steps obtained from AA World Services. C.A. is not affiliated with AA but maintains a spiritual kinship through the shared recovery model.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SMART Recovery: SMART Recovery is a non-12-step peer-support mutual-help organization offering evidence-based addiction recovery programs with global online and in-person meetings. It directly competes with CA for members seeking peer-led recovery but uses a cognitive-behavioral approach rather than spiritual steps.
• Marijuana Anonymous World Services: Marijuana Anonymous is a Twelve Step fellowship using the same 12-step recovery model, anonymity, and voluntary-contribution structure as CA, focused specifically on cannabis addiction. It is a direct niche competitor within the broader 12-step peer-support space.
• Celebrate Recovery: Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12-step recovery program operating in churches worldwide with similar peer-led meeting structures, anonymity principles, and stepped curriculum. It competes with CA in the faith-based recovery niche while serving an overlapping addiction population.
• Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters: Al-Anon is a Twelve Step fellowship that, like CA, is structurally derived from AA's program and operates as a voluntary-contribution nonprofit with global meetings. While its focus is on families of alcoholics, its governance, literature, and conference structure closely mirror CA's operating model.
• LifeRing Secular Recovery: LifeRing is a nonprofit, secular peer-support recovery organization offering meetings worldwide as an alternative to 12-step fellowships. It competes directly with CA for members who prefer non-spiritual, peer-led recovery support outside the Twelve Step tradition.
• Pills Anonymous: Pills Anonymous is a Twelve Step fellowship for individuals addicted to pills and other mind-altering substances, operating with a near-identical peer-support, anonymity, and voluntary-contribution model. It directly competes with CA for the prescription drug and polysubstance recovery population.
• Refuge Recovery: Refuge Recovery is a peer-led, mindfulness-based addiction recovery community offering meetings and meditation groups globally. It competes with CA for members seeking non-12-step alternatives to traditional fellowships while serving the same substance-use recovery mission.
• Alcoholics Anonymous World Services: Alcoholics Anonymous is the original Twelve Step fellowship from which Cocaine Anonymous directly adapted its program and Steps. It operates on the same nonprofit, voluntary-contribution, peer-support model with a global meeting network, making it the closest structural and spiritual analogue to CA.
• Narcotics Anonymous World Services: Narcotics Anonymous is a Twelve Step fellowship for drug addicts that shares CA's 12-step methodology, anonymous fellowship structure, voluntary self-support model, and global meeting network. It directly competes for the same population of individuals seeking peer-led recovery from substance addiction.

Broad incumbents

• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Hazelden Betty Ford is the largest nonprofit addiction treatment provider in the U.S., offering residential, outpatient, and digital recovery services. While clinical rather than peer-led, it competes for institutional referral pipelines (H&I) and downstream recovery membership that CA also targets.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cocaine-anonymous-world-svcs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cocaine Anonymous World Services