Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Furniture Donations
Who receives my donated furniture?
Bay Area Furniture Bank (BAFB) clients are primarily low-income individuals and families who lack the resources to meet their most basic furniture needs. Most cannot afford to purchase beds or kitchen tables, and rely on our help to obtain them. While several agencies in the area work to connect low-income families to food and housing, BAFB is the only organization in Silicon Valley focusing on providing furnishings and beds to help families turn housing into a home.
What is the first step for me or my organization to donate to BAFB?
BAFB works on a referral basis. So, you first must become a partner with BAFB. Individual clients cannot request furniture directly from the Bay Area Furniture Bank, as that is against our charter. Our warehouse is not open to the public.
How do I become a BAFB partner?
To become a partner with BAFB, you must start by by calling us at our office at 650-959-2100. This phone call is necessary to learn about our process, requirements, and transaction fee options, so that we may guide you on how to successfully place furniture orders for clients. The call will last about 10 minutes.
How should I best prepare for the initial BAFB partner phone call?
Prior to the initial conversation, we recommend that caseworkers please:
— familiarize yourself with the content posted here on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
— visit (physically or virtually) your client’s residence to gain clarity on the residence size and any space limitations.
— ask the client if they have or will receive furniture helping you to create a list of the essential items needed and to order furniture that will complement existing furnishings if any.
During our conversation, we will discuss:
— your findings following your physical or virtual visit with your client
— you receiving access to the BAFB partner’s secured page
— your pledge to never share this password with the clients and
— the requirement that you will never leave the order form in your lobby, or give it to clients to fill out.
NOTE: Please note that although we can provide assistance to families in the entire Bay Area, we only deliver in Santa Clara County and a few towns in San Mateo and Alameda counties. If your client is moving to a different county, please let us know at the time of our call.
At the completion of our call, you will be:
— ready to complete the FURNITURE REQUEST FORM posted in the partners’ page for your client after interviewing them and finding out their needs
— guarantee your client will not fill out the form themselves
Where does BAFB deliver furniture and what are the prices?
We deliver in Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and part of Alameda County for a service fee of $125.
We deliver to Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy for an additional charge of $60.
We deliver to some cities in San Mateo County, East Palo Alto and Redwood City for the same additional charge of $60.
For all other counties, caseworkers will have to work with BAFB to arrange pick up.
What is the schedule for when BAFB delivers furniture to partner agency clients?
BAFB set the delivery schedule when we call clients. After BAFB receives the referral, we call the client three times:
—To schedule the delivery date.
—To confirm the delivery dates, usually one or two days before the confirmed delivery date.
—To inform the client on the day of delivery that the furniture delivery is on its way and has left the previous stop.
Deliveries are typically scheduled Monday-Friday. We deliver after the client move-in date, and as soon as our delivery schedule permits.
What is the process for when an agency client cancels an order or fails to show up at a delivery?
If your client is unable to maintain their commitment on the scheduled date, we ask for a 48-hour cancellation notice — so we may avoid loading the truck with items that will remain undelivered, when the space on the truck could have been used for items to be delivered to another family in need.
Messages left on the office voicemail after work hours, the day before the delivery will be considered a no-show, as the truck would have already been loaded with the client’s order and ready to go first thing in the morning.
If the client is a no-show at the time of the confirmed and agreed delivery date:
Caseworkers will be contacted
a $125 fee to help recover the operational costs incurred will be charged to the agency
BAFB will be scheduling the next delivery with the caseworkers themselves
Caseworkers will be asked to be at the client’s residence and confirm their ability to let BAFB staff deliver the furniture
Who can place an order?
BAFB works on referral only, which means that:
Social service submit requests for their eligible clients
Individual clients cannot request furniture directly from the Bay Area Furniture Bank
For safety reasons, our warehouse is not open to the public. Although we do offer accompanied tours of our warehouse to all case managers and social service workers. You can contact our office at 650-959-2100 or mcriner@abode.org.
What does BAFB do with clients’ information?
All clients’ information is treated with strict confidentiality
What is the process for an agency caseworker ordering furniture for a client?
Caseworkers are asked to please confirm with:
Your agency, what is the dollar amount available to cover the cost of the client’s furniture;
Your client, what items they may have in storage or may be receiving from generous donors;
Your client or landlord, the space available for furniture.
Caseworkers are encouraged to do a site visit to the client’s residence.
Look for any obstruction, measure the width and height of door frames, stairways, hallways, elevator
If your client does not have a measuring tape, advise clients on alternative tools available to draw measurements (listed below on this page)
A standard package of 8 basic items is available
Based on your clients’ needs and space;
all of them may not be needed, or may not fit the client’s residence;
when placing an order, social workers will be given access to the price list and available furniture.
Additional items or adding multiple items of the same product to complement the standard package are available at cost (such as a bookshelf, desk, lamp, dining chair or dresser, etc.)
Beds and frames are priced separately
How to measure without a tape measure?
Case workers are encouraged to support clients and share with them how they can measure easily without measuring tapes. There are variety of ways to do so:
All your clients need is an object with a consistent length.
PRINTER PAPER
A standard sheet of letter paper is exactly 8.5 inches by 11 inches.
Use either the long or short edge depending on the size of the surface you’re measuring.DOLLAR BILL
An easy way to measure without a tape measure is to use your cash.
A plain old dollar bill is approximately 6 inches long and 2.5 inches tallARM SPAN
Sometimes referred to as “wingspan,” is the physical measurement of the length from one end of an individual’s (measured at the fingertips) to the other when raised parallel to the ground at should height at a 90° angle.
The arm span measurement is usually very close to the person’s height.PRINT OUT A RULER
Instead of using a sheet of paper, why not go a step further and simply print out a ruler?
Here are some 12-inch ruler templates you can use in those moments when you absolutely need to be as accurate as possible.
Is there a cost to the furniture?
Yes, there is a cost to the furniture - this is not a free service. However, there are no additional taxes to the transaction.
Are my furniture donations tax-deductible?
Yes, your items may be tax deductible. If you plan to itemize your tax deductions, please keep your BAFB receipt and consult your tax professional. Additionally, many charities such as Goodwill offer prices on commonly donated items like clothing and furnishings for estimating the value of the donation.
Have additional questions?
Let us know how we can help you and your clients. Contact us at 650-969-2100 or mcriner@abode.org.