Frequently Asked Questions

We are currently most active within the City of Philadelphia, with occasional requests in the surrounding counties (including New Jersey). That said, we are always open to new partnerships and expanded geographies, provided we have bakers in that area. If you would like to see more events in your town, feel free to be our ambassador! If you’d like to help us expand our efforts, drop us an email at InKindBakingPHL@gmail.com

We can always use more bakers! Whether you are a professional or an enthusiast, we would love to have you. Sign up by filling out our interest form. A member of our steering committee will then add you to our scheduling site PlanHero, where you can sign up for volunteer slots for upcoming events and community fridges. You can sign up as often or as sparingly as your schedule allows.

Yes, if you sign up, please make sure you can drop off within the specified drop-off window(s) and to the location named in the request. Unfortunately, due to the volume of requests we fulfill and the number of bakers that we coordinate, we cannot coordinate drop-off arrangements on your behalf.

No, you only need to drop off the baked goods to the point person within the specified drop-off window.

No. You can drop off in tupperware, shirt boxes with wax paper, etc. We just ask that you label the baked goods with their ingredients and any allergens, and make sure to note that “These baked goods were prepared in a home kitchen.”

Unless that is specified in the request, you do not need to do it. If you are baking for a Community Fridge, please consider packaging individually or per "household".

It varies based on the event’s anticipated head count. For events with fewer than 30-40 people in attendance, we recruit one baker to cover the entire event. (These smaller events are our most common requests.) For events that expect more than 30-40 people, we recruit multiple bakers so that each baker is responsible for about 30 servings maximum.

Community Fridges (and pantries) are volunteer-run resources with the goal of helping to aliveate food insecurity and food waste. These resources are available 24/7 and you can drop off whenever it is convenient for you. When baking for a Community Fridge or pantry, please ensure you read the specific directions and can satisfy the requests/needs that are noted. Packaging should be individual or to suit a "household", rather than large containers, and you must ensure you add the date your items were baked on your detailed label.

If the event is more than 2 weeks away, simply cancel your signup on the PlanHero site and email us at InKindBakingPHL@gmail.com to let us know. If the event is less than 2 weeks away, we ask that you try to find a replacement before contacting us (try posting in the project’s Facebook group!). We ask that you give us at least 72 hr notice that you will not be able to fulfill your obligation; if you need to cancel within that period, we ask that you contact us (InKindBakingPHL@gmail.com) and the event's contact person directly to let them know.

Through our fiscal sponsor (Culture Trust Philadelphia), the InKind Baking Project carries liability insurance that covers our bakers. As part of those insurance arrangements, we ask all of our volunteer bakers and requesting organizations/individuals to sign a waiver that outlines their responsibilities. This waiver is available through our PlanHero group. Please contact us if you wish to review the policy coverages.

No, we are an all-volunteer network.

Generally speaking, our volunteers take care of their own ingredients and supplies. However, we consider it a core part of our mission and values that everyone be able to participate, regardless of cost. We do maintain a reimbursement fund to offset the cost of supplies and/or drop-off transportation (e.g. public transportation or Lyft). Other than confirming the details of your volunteer slot and submitting a receipt, we don’t ask any other questions to make bakers justify their reimbursement. (Reimbursement is available for as long as the funds last.)

Yes, through our fiscal sponsor, Culture Trust Greater Philadelphia, all donations are tax-deductible, whether they are cash/check or in-kind goods/services. Cash donations will automatically receive a receipt. Please contact us for a form for in-kind donations.

That’s great to hear! Check out the toolkit on our website for some tips on how to start your own baking network.

We welcome requests for any baked goods and any occasion, as long as it fulfills our mission of supporting our neighbors in inclusive community. We prioritize events that directly serve community members (rather than staff events for a service organization). We are happy to bake for both individuals and organizations, on a one-time or recurring basis. Unfortunately, we cannot bake for any fundraising events.

You can submit a request via the form on our website (www.inkindbakingproject.org). If there are any technical difficulties with the form, send us an email at InKindBakingPHL@gmail.com, and we can get all the important info from you. Once we receive your request, we will follow up to confirm our capacity and your needs.

The sooner the better! Because we are all volunteers and need time to plan for events, we ask that you submit requests for smaller events (approx. 30 people or fewer) at least 2 weeks in advance, or for larger events (30+ people), at least 4 weeks in advance. Feel free to submit with even more notice!

Yes. We welcome recurring requests for important work (e.g. ongoing legal clinics for immigrants, community dinners, etc.) and will do our best to fulfill some or all of the events, depending on their frequency. We juggle a very active calendar and a listserv of busy bakers, so we will work with you to determine the best schedule and commitment.

No, we are an all-volunteer network. (But we do welcome any donations to offset our costs!)

Yes, you are welcome to make special requests for the type of baked goods or any allergens to avoid. However, please keep in mind that we are an all-volunteer network, not a catering company. The more flexibility you can give us, the easier it is for us to recruit volunteers.

No. Consider us your partners behind-the-scenes: bakers take care of preparing the baked goods and will drop off within the window(s) of time that you specify. They do not stay to serve the baked goods.

In general, we take care of coordinating all of the recruitment and logistics with the bakers, to streamline the process for you and keep things simpler for our volunteers. However, if you’d like to reach out directly to the bakers for a particular event, we can put you in touch.

Through our fiscal sponsor, Culture Trust Greater Philadelphia, the InKind Baking Project carries liability insurance that covers our bakers. As part of those insurance arrangements, we ask that all of our requesting individuals/organizations sign a waiver that outlines their responsibilities.