diff --git a/sample.env b/sample.env
index 39b7f545..cdc3427d 100644
--- a/sample.env
+++ b/sample.env
@@ -8,3 +8,11 @@ REACT_APP_SENTRY_ENVIRONMENT='your_sentry_env_name'
 
 # Airtable API
 REACT_APP_AIRTABLE_API_KEY='your_airtable_api_key'
+
+# Optional Airtable base overrides. If unset, the ELA production base IDs
+# hardcoded in src/components/config/api.ts are used. Contributors who do
+# not have access to the official ELA bases can duplicate the schema into
+# their own workspace and set the corresponding env var here to point the
+# local dev build at it.
+REACT_APP_AIRTABLE_BASE=''
+REACT_APP_AIRTABLE_CENSUS_BASE=''
diff --git a/src/components/config/api.ts b/src/components/config/api.ts
index 7ae08fad..58f8bdb9 100644
--- a/src/components/config/api.ts
+++ b/src/components/config/api.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import { RouteLocation } from './types'
 
 export const AIRTABLE_API_KEY = process.env.REACT_APP_AIRTABLE_API_KEY as string
-export const AIRTABLE_BASE = 'applPEl3BsnpuszQu'
-export const AIRTABLE_CENSUS_BASE = 'appjb6Qnp4lTNz7Gn'
+export const AIRTABLE_BASE =
+  process.env.REACT_APP_AIRTABLE_BASE || 'applPEl3BsnpuszQu'
+export const AIRTABLE_CENSUS_BASE =
+  process.env.REACT_APP_AIRTABLE_CENSUS_BASE || 'appjb6Qnp4lTNz7Gn'
 
 // TODO: get this into provider/global so it doesn't need adding every time
 export const reactQueryDefaults = {