For more than a decade, we have published an annual study that captures the voices of school and library leaders across the United States. It is called the E-rate Trends Report, and even though it focuses on a U.S. connectivity funding program, the leadership lessons inside it are universal.
Each year our team invests time and energy into the E-rate Trends Report. On the surface, it looks like a research project. We gather data, study comments, and publish charts. But the real purpose goes much deeper. The Trends Report is not simply about E-rate. It is a leadership exercise for us, and it reflects a belief that guides much of what we do at Funds For Learning.
The belief is simple. Leaders listen. And when leaders listen with intention, better decisions follow.
Listening on purpose
When we ask schools and libraries about their experiences, we are doing more than collecting statistics. We are choosing to listen in a structured and intentional way. It is a discipline that helps keep us centered on our mission. It reminds us that our work touches real people who are doing their best to serve students and communities.
The Trends Report gives us a chance to hear their stories. Some of those stories are encouraging. Some are challenging. All of them expand our perspective and help us make wiser decisions, both as professionals and as leaders.
Seeing the road ahead
Good leadership requires the ability to look beyond the moment. The Trends Report helps us see what is happening beneath the surface. It shows where schools are confident, where they are strained, and where the future is already pressing in on them. Rising costs, cybersecurity needs, staffing constraints, and network resiliency pressures are not abstract trends. They are signals about the environment our clients are navigating every day.
For leaders in education, technology, or business, this type of understanding matters. It helps us look around corners. It helps us prepare. It helps us serve others more effectively.
Staying anchored in mission
In my own leadership journey, and in the culture we have built at Funds For Learning, we return often to one idea. We need to understand the reason behind what we do. The Trends Report is one of the ways we do that. It is our reminder that E-rate is not about forms or funding waves. It is about connecting people, leveling the playing field, and removing barriers to opportunity.
The Trends Report grounds us. It pulls us back to the mission. It reminds us why the work matters.
The deeper lesson
So why do we keep producing it?
Because listening makes us better.
Because understanding strengthens our decisions.
Because leadership begins with humility and curiosity.
Because we serve real people with real needs.
And because asking the right questions is one of the most important practices any leader can cultivate.
Whether you lead a school district, a company, a team, or a boardroom, the principle is the same. When you pay attention to the experiences of those you serve, you grow in wisdom. You make clearer choices. You carry more credibility. And you are better equipped to guide others toward a better future.
That is why we do the Trends Report each year. It is not just data. It is part of our leadership practice.
Download the Full Trends Report
If you would like to dive deeper into the data and the voices behind it, the full 2025 E-rate Trends Report is available here.
