Bonner County Historical Museum asks commissioners for larger 2026 contribution amid repairs, membership shortfall

Representatives of the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum asked the Bonner County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday for an increase in the county’s 2026 contribution from $25,000 to $46,000 to shore up finances and cover deferred maintenance.

Chuck Luman, a representative of the historical society, and Hannah Combs, executive director of the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum, presented a pamphlet outlining the society’s mission, a five-year strategic plan and a proposed 2026 budget. Luman said the organization faced “a very real possibility of closing our doors” because of deferred maintenance, reduced membership and limited fundraising.

The request comes as the museum reported membership income of about $13,000 in 2024 (up from roughly $11,000 the prior year) and budgeted $16,000 in membership revenue for 2026. Combs told commissioners the society expects to sustain about $16,000 in membership income in 2026 and plans a 20% year‑over‑year membership growth projection through 2030, but she described that goal as conservative.

Why it matters: Commissioners pressed the museum to show what changes it has already made to reduce reliance on county support and to provide documentation for fee increases, membership trends and capital needs before approving a larger appropriation. County officials said they want clear evidence the society is shifting toward more fee-based services, expanding marketing and identifying necessary building repairs and associated cost estimates.

Most of the meeting focused on the society’s revenue mix and operations. Combs said the museum has limited success with federal grants and often applies for state grants that include federal National Endowment for the Humanities funding; she said the administrative burden of federal grants can outweigh their benefit for a small organization. “To take on a federal grant would actually end up costing us more money than it’s actually worth applying for,” Combs said.

The society reported the following financial and program details to commissioners: - County contribution requested: $46,000 for 2026 (up from $25,000 in the prior year). - Membership revenue: about $13,000 in 2024; budgeted at $16,000 for 2026. - Grant revenue: about $4,300 in 2024; the 2025 budget included no federal grants and anticipates pursuing more foundation and local grants. - Endowment principal: roughly $16,000 held with the Idaho Community Foundation; the society budgets adding about $3,000 next year to the principal from individual contributions. - Research fees: increased from $10 per hour to $25 per hour beginning in September (Combs said this change was intended to cover staff time and is tied to a new research‑scholar program for trained volunteers). - Admissions: raised to $6 in the previous fall. - Program expense lines cited in the 2026 draft budget: youth programming supplies about $5,500 and adult programming about $8,100; Combs said many youth programs remain free or reduced-cost and are run largely by volunteers. - Fundraising mailer: the society said a recent mailer was sent to about 1,800 addresses at a cost of roughly $1,200 and yielded donations from about 18% of recipients.

Commissioners broadly supported the museum’s mission but asked for more detail before committing additional county funds. They requested: - A comparability and timeline showing when fee changes (research fees, admissions and photo orders) were implemented and revenue tracked thereafter. - A breakdown of prior-year and proposed fee schedules and a demonstration of how fee revenue is expected to reduce county dependency. - Itemized estimates and quotes for capital repairs and maintenance (including the roof) and clarification whether budgeted maintenance covers patchwork or replacement. - A marketing and outreach plan showing how the society will expand membership beyond long‑standing multigenerational donors, including outreach to Sandpoint-area newcomers, homeschool co‑ops and other communities across Bonner County.

Commissioners also suggested low-cost marketing strategies (social media, partnerships with real estate offices and schools, and volunteer-driven outreach) and recommended the society re-evaluate which services should remain free. The board asked the museum representatives to return with the requested documentation for further consideration; there was no vote or formal county action during the presentation.

Combs and Luman said the society has begun some changes — raising research and photo fees, instituting a $1 guided tour fee for school groups and pursuing planned-giving conversations — but acknowledged those changes will take time to increase net revenue. Luman said the society is asking for interim county support while it executes a multi-year plan to rebuild financial stability and complete critical building repairs.

The commissioners did not approve funding during the meeting and asked the society to come back with the additional financial and facility details before the county’s budget decisions are finalized.