Is this REALLY a hypothetical situation?  It sounds awfully familiar to me...
 In opening a new museum under the conditions you describe, my quick answer,
in no particular order, is:

1.) concentrate on renovating the building to provide a safe, secure,
environmentally stable, and appropriate exhibition/programming space for
people and artifacts.

2.) DO NOT COLLECT anything by adding to a permanent collection unless you
are able to properly care for your collections.  And, as I'm sure many
curators and registrars will echo, do not begin to collect until you have a
clear policy that limits the scope of what you will take!   If you create a
museum-quality gallery space, you can always borrow exhibits and artifacts.

3.) use changing exhibitions and programs to get people into the building and
interested in supporting the project.

$80,000 is not a lot of money to carry out the project.  I would use some of
that to hire an exhibit designer and curator to develop models and drawings
of what the museum could look like, and then use those models and plans to
raise more money (people like to see what they're investing in).  Good
education programming for adults and children can get people enthused about
the project.

4.) work on both short- (3 year) and long-range (5-10+ year) plans.  Clearly,
you have to focus on mission, money, the physical plant, staffing,
interpretation, board development, and so on.  I think it is crucial to have
the input of curators and educators at the planning stage.  I also think it's
crucial to look at the board during planning--you can solve many of your
dilemmas, from maintenance needs, to legal questions, to architectural
renovations, to capital campaigns, by recruiting appropriate trustees.

One final note:  a salary of $20,000 with no benefits is unreasonable!!!


> Heidi Anderson asked about a hypothetical situation of being hired
to open a new museum in an old vacant bank building and needing
to develop a 3-year plan. <