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The Color of Money

A Simulation for Understanding Federal Budget Dynamics

A facilitator working with teams to boost their understanding of how money moves through the business.

Understand How Budget Decisions Shape Outcomes

The federal budgeting process is more than a set of rules. It’s a system of tradeoffs that affects everything from project timelines to mission impact. Whether you're allocating funds within an agency or selling to one, your ability to navigate this system makes a measurable difference.

The Color of Money (TCOM) is a simulation-based experience that brings federal budget constraints and pressures to life. Participants make decisions, face consequences, and leave with sharper insight into how funding, timing and staffing of projects shapes performance?.

Two Versions — One Shared Goal

Participants gathered around a game board, making decisions during a business simulation to build financial acumen through hands-on learning.
We offer two versions of the TCOM simulation:
For Government Agencies: Build internal capacity and decision-making strength.
For Vendors and Sales Teams: Align your sales approach with the realities agencies face.

Built on Real-World Rules

While “Color of Money” is an informal phrase, it reflects real distinctions in federal funding types. The simulation is grounded in widely used federal concepts:

OMB Circular A-11
DoD Financial Management Regulation
GAO’s Red Book: Principles of Federal Appropriations Law