A mix of ideas from a post from 4 years ago to now and I was always know for unnecessarily long posts, so here we go.
Increase amount of money for starters (50k is enough to purchase a car, property, pots/seeds, and weapons). This will lead to an increased # of people who join the server to RDM but is easily solved by a certain hammer and a couple revive commands.
Increase maximum and decrease minimum death costs. As low as $200 and as high as $10k. If we have people like gordos generously donating to get PERP back alive for new and old players alike, you'll need to better equip admins. For admins...
Better equip moderator rank. Let's be real, it's a piece of shit rank with the commands that you are given. Death logs (not full console logs, if this is at all possible), ban, and revive for example. All bans/bls of any duration must be posted on HGBans w/ proof for moderators. Fuck that 2 hour "no proof necessary" policy for PERP if it still exists.
I personally don't think anyone outside of GMOD division, unless approved by uM/CD for a very good reason, should have anything above green (dA/dS) admin. Start them off with mod until they are proven to have the same understanding as a GMOD dA /dS should have about the rules. ~There is no reason other people from different divisions of equal rank should have an admin rank higher than those of the same division. We never did it when PERP was popular without a $1000 donation, and we shouldn't now.
Similarly, GMOD dA's should be able to get blue (superadmin, dL level) admin ranks. Again, given with discretion by uM.
I have to go to work. I'm done.