What Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation does

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (ELFF) is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization founded in 1989 that serves as the primary research, forecasting, and talent-development arm for the U.S. equipment leasing and finance industry. Its portfolio of research products includes the Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) for monthly executive sentiment tracking, the U.S. Economic Outlook for quarterly GDP and equipment/software investment forecasts, the annual Foundation Horizon Report (which documented industry size reaching an estimated $1.34 trillion in 2023), the Investment Momentum Monitor, the Industry Future Council Report, and a Vertical Market Outlook Series covering data centers, agriculture, healthcare, construction, trucking, and other end-markets. Workforce development is delivered through the Campus to Career platform, which funds $5,000 academic scholarships (10 students in 2025-2026 and 12 in 2026-2027), sponsors first-of-its-kind equipment finance curricula at Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business and the University of North Texas (with the CLFP Foundation), and provides internship and recruiting resources to industry employers.

The Foundation operates on a donation-based revenue model rather than commercial sales. It is funded by corporate contributions from more than 40 equipment finance companies across tiered giving levels ranging from $2,500 (Corporate Supporters) to $50,000+ (Corporate Ambassadors), with named contributors including Farm Credit Leasing, Wells Fargo, Bank of America Global Leasing, Key Equipment Finance, PNC, Huntington, DLL, First American Equipment Finance (an RBC/City National company), and Wintrust Asset Finance. Individual donors are recognized through the 1989 Society program. All research publications are distributed free of charge through leasefoundation.org, with awareness generated via an annual Day of Giving fundraising campaign, a podcast series, social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Vimeo), and press distribution through GlobeNewswire.

The Foundation is closely affiliated with the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the industry's trade association, sharing the same Washington, DC headquarters and a coordinated governance approach with a Board of Trustees chaired by industry executives such as Miles Herman (CEO, LEAF Commercial Capital). A members-only AI tool was launched in March 2025, representing the Foundation's first disclosed technology-enabled product beyond traditional research publishing.

Name

Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation

Legal name

Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation

Website

https://leasefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation is a Washington, DC-based non-profit, founded in 1989, that produces industry research, economic forecasts, and workforce development programs for the U.S. equipment leasing and finance sector, funded by corporate and individual donations from over 40 industry contributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Research and Market Intelligence

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

SME Equipment & Asset Finance (Leasing, Fleet, Capex) (FSABABAH)

Keywords

• Equipment finance research
• Industry economic forecasting
• Workforce development programs
• Nonprofit foundation research
• Talent pipeline development

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Contributions: The Foundation receives financial support from equipment leasing and finance companies through corporate contribution programs at various giving levels (Corporate Ambassador $50,000+, Corporate Fellows $20,000+, Corporate Builders $15,000+, Corporate Benefactors $10,000+, Corporate Sustainers $5,000+, Corporate Supporters $2,500+).
2. Individual Contributions: The Foundation receives donations from individual supporters including a 1989 Society recognition program for major donors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides industry research, economic forecasting, and workforce development programs to the U.S. equipment leasing and finance industry. Its offerings include the Monthly Confidence Index, U.S. Economic Outlook reports, vertical market outlook studies, and the Campus to Career platform featuring scholarships, university partnerships, and internship resources.

Product overview

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation is a non-profit organization providing industry research and workforce development for the equipment leasing and finance sector. The Foundation operates a portfolio of research products including the Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) for monthly industry sentiment tracking, the U.S. Economic Outlook for quarterly economic forecasting, the Investment Momentum Monitor for investment trend analysis, the annual Foundation Horizon Report for industry size and end-user behavior analysis, the Industry Future Council (IFC) Report for strategic trend identification, and the Vertical Market Outlook Series for sector-specific research across agriculture, construction, healthcare, trucking, and other verticals. Supporting these research products is the quarterly Equipment Leasing & Finance Industry Snapshot slide deck and the Podcast series for disseminating findings. The Foundation's workforce development initiative, Campus to Career, provides academic scholarships, university partnerships with institutions including Arizona State University and University of North Texas, internship resources, and recruiting tools. The organization also conducts annual Day of Giving fundraising campaigns to support its research and talent development programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELFie: The Foundation's mascot/icon used for branding and industry engagement

Products and services

• U.S. Economic Outlook Quarterly and annual economic forecasting reports projecting equipment and software investment growth and GDP expansion for the U.S. economy, intended for equipment leasing and finance executives and analysts.
• Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) Qualitative assessment survey providing monthly index scores measuring confidence in the equipment finance market based on executive assessments of prevailing business conditions and future expectations.
• Investment Momentum Monitor Research resource tracking investment trends and momentum in the equipment and software sector for industry analysts and executives.
• Foundation Horizon Report Annual comprehensive report examining the equipment finance industry size, end-user financing behaviors, and market trends.
• Industry Future Council (IFC) Report Annual strategic assessment report identifying key trends in technology, workforce, and economics expected to impact equipment finance firms over the next five years.
• Vertical Market Outlook Series Sector-specific research reports covering agriculture, construction, healthcare, trucking, office imaging, restaurants, franchises, retail, and data centers, examining opportunities for equipment finance companies in each vertical.
• Equipment Leasing & Finance Industry Snapshot Quarterly slide deck summarizing current conditions and projections for the U.S. economy and equipment finance industry with charts and narrative summaries for executive briefings.
• Campus to Career Platform NextGen talent development initiative providing academic scholarships, university partnerships with Arizona State University and University of North Texas, internship resources, and recruiting tools to attract talent to the equipment finance industry.
• Equipment Finance Industry Podcast Audio content series covering industry trends, research findings, and interviews with equipment finance industry leaders.
• Apps 2.0 Study Data-driven evaluation study of innovative technologies, apps, software, and IT services designed to help equipment finance companies identify actionable, integration-ready technologies that address operational challenges.
• Climate Finance Study Research study examining growth opportunities in climate finance and projecting investment trends for the equipment leasing and finance industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment and software investment projected to expand 6.2% in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of North Texas G. Brint Ryan College of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2024Partnership with the Department of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Law (FIREL) to launch a new course on commercial equipment finance, in conjunction with the CLFP Foundation.
• CLFP FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2024Partnership with the Certified Lease & Finance Professional Foundation to launch commercial equipment finance course at University of North Texas.
• Arizona State University W. P. Carey School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2024Partnership to develop first-of-its-kind equipment finance course curriculum. 24 students registered for the inaugural spring semester course. This is a milestone in academic outreach and talent pipeline development for the industry.
• ELFA (Equipment Leasing and Finance Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation is affiliated with ELFA and shares the same headquarters location. ELFA is the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, the industry's trade association. The Foundation and ELFA work together on industry initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Direct peers

• CLFP Foundation (Certified Lease & Finance Professional Foundation): Sister foundation dedicated to professional certification and education in equipment finance. Co-launches curriculum with the subject Foundation at UNT, making it the most direct operating peer in mission and structure.
• National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers (NAELB): Trade association serving the equipment leasing broker channel in the US. Comparable in serving a sub-segment of the equipment leasing ecosystem with member education, ethics, and industry development programming.

Broad incumbents

• American Financial Services Association (AFSA): Broader financial services trade association with a parallel education and research mission across consumer and commercial finance. Comparable as an industry-funded research and advocacy body, though operating at a wider sector scope than the subject Foundation.
• Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA): The affiliated trade association sharing the Foundation's Washington, DC headquarters. ELFA is the broader industry membership body that the Foundation supports, representing the equipment finance industry's commercial and policy interests.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeaseFoundation
• YouTubevimeo.com/elffchannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/LeaseFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10989281?

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation