BAFB works on a referral basis:
Individual clients cannot request furniture directly from the Bay Area Furniture Bank as it is against our charter, our warehouse is not open to the public.

To become a partner with us, a 10 minutes call to our office is necessary to walk through our process, requirements, and transaction fee options, so that we may guide you on how to successfully place furniture orders for clients.

Please note that although we can provide assistance to families in the entire Bay Area, however we only deliver in Santa Clara County and a few towns in San Mateo County. If your client is moving to a different county, please let us know at the time of our call.

Prior to the initial conversation, we recommend 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 share information:
— your findings following your physical or virtual visit with your client
— receive access to the BAFB partner’s secured page
— pledge you will never share this password with the clients and
— guarantee you never leave the order form in your lobby, or give it to clients to fill in

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

During the Covid 19 pandemic, we will be implementing the following safety guidelines:

1. Our personnel will wear masks and gloves while minimizing contact at time with clients
2. BAFB crew and Clients will maintain minimum social distancing spacing of 6 feet
3. Our crew will position furniture inside front door only (except in cases of seniors or those physically unable to reposition furniture)

• LOCATIONS
  • We deliver in most of the cities in Santa Clara County for a flat fee of $90
  • 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
• SCHEDULE
  • BAFB sets the delivery schedule when we call clients
  • Client are called three times, once BAFB receives the referral:
    1. To schedule the delivery date
    2. To confirm the delivery date, one or two days before the agreed upon delivery date
       Client will be given an appointment time frame which is set the day before the delivery based on that day’s truck route
    3. To let the client know the delivery is on its way, and has left the previous stop (by BAFB driver)
  • Frequency: Deliveries are typically scheduled Monday-Friday
  • Time frame: We deliver after the client move-in date, and as soon as our delivery schedule premits

• CANCELLATION & NO-SHOW
  • If your client is unable to maintain their commitment on the scheduled date, we ask for a 48 hour cancellation notice whenever possible (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 no-show, as the truck would have already been loaded, locked and ready to go first thing in the morning with client’s order
  • 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

• There is a cost to the furniture, this is not a free service
• Cost of the items are for the majority below those of our competitors
• There are no added taxes to the transaction

• BAFB works on referral only, which means that
  • Social Service Agencies submit requests for their eligible clients
  • Individual clients cannot request furniture directly from the Bay Area Furniture Bank as it against our charter
  • 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. (Contact our office to schedule your group)
  • All clients’ information is treated with strict confidentiality

• Caseworkers please confirm with:
  1. Your agency, what is the dollar amount available to cover the cost of the client’s furniture
  2. Your client, what items they may have in storage or may be receiving from generous donors
  3. Your client or landlord the space available for furniture
• Caseworkers are encouraged to do a site visit to the client’s residence. During Covid-19, a Zoom call, WhatsApp or FaceTime may be an alternative
  1. Look for any obstruction, measure the width and height of door frames, stairways, hallways, elevator
  2. 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 bookshelf, desk, lamp, dining chair or dresser, etc.)
• Beds and frames are priced separately

• 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 tall
  • ARM 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.

Let us know how we can help you, help your clients

• Contact us by phone at 650-969-2100 or
• email us at info@bafb.org

We look forward to hearing from you.

BAFB Staff