Teach For America
Recruiting and training teachers for under-resourced schools across the United States
Our editorial assessment
TFA is one of the most debated education organisations in the United States — and that debate itself reflects the organisation's significance. Since 1990, TFA has placed 60,000+ highly talented recent graduates in under-resourced schools for two-year teaching commitments. Research on TFA teacher effectiveness shows mixed but generally positive results in math instruction, with less clear outcomes in other subjects. TFA's most significant long-term impact may be the pipeline of education leaders it has created: TFA alumni include school principals, district superintendents, education policymakers, and founders of prominent charter school networks. Their programme spending ratio of 78% is lower than average, reflecting the costs of recruitment, training, and support for first-year teachers. For donors who believe systemic education reform requires human capital investment, TFA remains the largest and most influential pipeline.
The problem they're solving
The US education system faces a persistent teacher shortage in low-income communities. Schools in these areas struggle to recruit talented educators, creating an equity gap that compounds other disadvantages. TFA addresses this gap while building a movement of leaders committed to educational equity.
About Teach For America
Teach For America has placed 60,000+ teachers in 3,000+ under-resourced schools since 1990.
Where your dollar goes
How this score was produced
The GiveWise score is our own editorial assessment, produced with a weighted rubric covering program spending, transparency and governance, evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and leadership. It draws on publicly available reports from independent evaluators such as GiveWell, Charity Navigator, and CharityWatch, but it is not a rating issued or endorsed by any of those organisations. Read the full methodology →