Nonprofit organizations are being offered a unique opportunity for fundraising by the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District.

“We want to see if we can double the benefit provided by public dollars. Non-profit organizations spend a huge amount of time on fundraising ... Meanwhile, we’re spending nearly $700 per month for litter pickup and graffiti removal at the Napa River Ecological Reserve. So we thought why not offer the cleanup contract as a fundraising opportunity,” said John Woodbury, general manager of the district.

The ecological reserve is on the banks of the Napa River on the north side of the Yountville Crossroad. It is owned by the state Department of Fish and Game. However, the state agency doesn’t have the staff or budget to adequately maintain it, so has relied on Napa County to fulfill this function. Three months ago the county transferred responsibility for maintaining the reserve to the park and open space district.

The amount of work typically involves a few hours each week for two or three people.

Interested organizations should go to www.napaoutdoors.org.