CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Local funding for nonprofit organizations plays a bigger role in their budgets than just the amount of dollars committed, said Lisa Simpson Lutts, executive director of the Museum Center at Five Points.

Last week the Bradley County Commission agreed to trim county support for the museum from the $20,000 of the past three years to $15,000 for the 2009 year that begins Tuesday.

The commission is scheduled to vote on the budget July 7.

Meanwhile the Cleveland City Council’s new budget, already approved, puts $43,000 into the museum’s budget, the same sum as each of the last three years.

The city’s and county’s contributions make up 18 percent of the museum center’s budget. The rest comes from foundations, grants, donations, building rentals for special events and fundraisers like the annual members’ gala.

“Every dollar is important for a nonprofit,” Ms. Lutts said. “Grant programs look for that local buy-in, too.”

The county commission’s finance committee already had agreed to the 25 percent reduction in museum center support last week when Commissioner Lisa Stanbery asked that it be reconsidered.

The museum center is going through a growth phase and branching out with more community offerings, she said.

“It’s such a valuable resource to us,” she said. She pointed out the museum’s recent role in getting local Cherokee heritage projects under way.

Keeping the $20,000 level this year, she said, would give the museum a chance to look elsewhere during the coming year.

But many commissioners remembered that initial funding by local government was meant only to get the museum center on its financial feet.

Finance Committee Chairman Ed Elkins said he understood that initial plans called for the museum gradually to be weaned from using local public money.

A proposal by Commissioner Howard Thompson to eliminate all county funding for the museum failed on Monday but got five votes.

Ms. Stanbery’s proposal to restore the $5,000 got seven votes, one less than needed to pass.

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