County Asks Nonprofit to Take Over Nature Center

In a strategy being used very successfully with many public resources—such as the Sacramento Zoo which the city of Sacramento transitioned management and fund raising to the nonprofit Sacramento Zoological Society in 1997—County government, struggling with being able to adequately fund the Effie Yeaw Nature Center, has asked for proposals from nonprofits.

While the time frames are probably too tight—without continued County support—to manage a seamless transition, it is nonetheless, a wise strategy.

One of the nonprofits submitting a proposal will be the American River Natural History Association—for which I served as board president several years ago—and they have commented about the situation.

An excerpt.

“Sacramento County officials have requested detailed proposals from four local nonprofit organizations on how they would manage the Effie Yeaw Nature Center if selected when county operation is scheduled to end June 30.

“Four nonprofits stepped up when a budget crunch threatened closure of the center: the American River Natural History Association (ARNHA), the American River Parkway Foundation, the Sacramento County Office of Education, and the Discovery Museum on Auburn Blvd., Sacramento.

“Each organization was asked to provide information on such key subjects as anticipated revenue and expenditures, and plans for fulfilling the nature center's basic services for children, teens and adults such as nature tours, animal care and exhibits. The deadline for submitting the proposals is June 4.

“The requests for proposals were issued following a Board of Supervisors May 12 Workshop on future of the financially struggling regional parks system.”