STATE BUDGET

California Budget Choices - Making the Budget Easier to Understand for Everyone

Next Ten worked with Common Knowledge to create a short highly visual budget basics brochure called California Budget Choices that is now available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. To order print copies, use our online order form. The nonpartisan brochure answers basic questions about the budget such as where do revenues come from, where does spending go, and how did the continuing budget deficits happen. This brochure is ideal for newcomers to the topic and anyone who would like a quick overview of the budget that is easy to understand.

As part of the development process for this brochure we heard from 28 stakeholders about what budget education materials might be useful in their civic education work. We also conducted several focus groups across the state and found there was indeed widespread interest among the general public in an overview to the state budget – but they wanted the information in a user-friendly format. The resulting brochure was tested extensively with users across California to ensure that the text and visuals would be accessible to a broad audience.

This brochure is now ready for widespread use by individuals or organizations who wish to share it with their audiences. To order free print versions of the user friendly California Budget Choices use our online order form or contact Next Ten at info@next10.org or call 650-321-5417.

We want to encourage the use of the brochure in group settings since this is how most people learn best. Soon we will post a moderator's guide with options for how to use our various budget education materials in group settings.