To bring major initiatives to fruition, trustees, administrators, faculty members, and donors must all be effectively engaged. By broadening a project's impact, the concerns of board members and other constituencies may be addressed and resolved to the satisfaction of all. An institution must provide sufficient time and multiple opportunities for key stakeholders to be active participants in the development process for significant new programs and activities. In this article, the author recounts a critical moment in Skidmore College's decision 15 years ago to create a museum predicated not on the presentation and preservation of objects, but rather on the interdisciplinary exploration of "ideas." It's a decision that, today, seems both obvious and inevitable. The result--the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery--has become a signature element of both the college's educational program and public persona. And the process of its creation has, in many ways, become a blueprint for the board for building consensus around any major facilities project. (Contains 1 resource.)