Teach for America Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Children growing up in historically marginalized and disenfranchised communities lack access to a broad spectrum of resources and opportunities, and attend schools that are not equipped to meet their needs. To address this, TFA's mission is to find, develop and support exceptional leaders to teach the nation's most underserved students. TFA does this by finding promising leaders; developing and cultivating the leadership skills and mindsets necessary for systems change through classroom teaching; engaging the individual and collective impact of those in the TFA network throughout their lifetime; and growing the organization by learning new capabilities to enable a path for transformative change.
- Income
- $265.2 million
- Spending
- $253.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 8.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 71%
- Employees
- 2,193
- Volunteers
- 72,000
- Highest pay
- $598,385, ceo & director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 18 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (5)
- $124.2 million spent. Corps Members - TFA recruits, selects, trains and develops exceptional leaders to teach the nation's most underserved students. The organization hosts on and off campus recruitment events, networks and cultivates relationships with prospects and communities in order to recruit exceptional leaders. The organization then processes applications and conducts interviews to select corps members, placing them in various urban and rural regions throughout the United States. Corps members are supported financially, and engage in intensive virtual, hybrid, and in-person training where they have the opportunity to understand their role and work, build community with one another, learn practical skills, and apply their learning in preparation for their first day of school. Corps members are then supported throughout a two-year classroom experience with additional coaching and instructional supports as well as leadership and/or educator professional development.
- $30.5 million spent. Systems Change - TFA recognizes that significant progress in education can only be achieved with extraordinary actions and partnerships within the communities in which we work. Creating system change is about researching new opportunities - working alongside a coalition of alumni, students, and community leaders and partners to identify patterns and strategies that can lead to system impact and achieve our goals. Investing in work that allows learning of new capabilities and experimentation with innovative practices to bring forth a reinvention of the existing school models.
- $24.6 million spent. Alumni - TFA has an alumni base of former corps members all over the world. This network is instrumental in driving real change and impact in education. TFA engages in activities that support and encourage alumni to continue work in education and across sectors by connecting them with various career and partnership opportunities, as well as resources, programs, and events. TFA also supports alumni via activities intended to develop alumni in leadership practice and/or specific programmatic areas: classroom practice, school leadership, school systems leadership, policy/organizing work, and social entrepreneurship.
- $13.0 million spent. Ignite Fellowship - Ignite fellows are a national tutoring corps designed to accelerate learning and foster belonging with students, leveraging research-based best practices for high-impact tutoring. Ignite builds on Teach For America's over 35 years of experience recruiting, developing, and supporting talent and partnering with communities across the country to help students overcome the systemic barriers to an excellent education. The Ignite Fellowship brings exceptional, equity-minded leaders into classrooms virtually to add immediate value for students, while creating shifts towards the future of equitable learning.
- (Expenses $ 12,991,480 including grants of $ 4,164,412) Ignite Fellowship - Ignite fellows are a national tutoring corps designed to accelerate learning and foster belonging with students, leveraging research-based best practices for high-impact tutoring. Ignite builds on Teach For America's over 35 years of experience recruiting, developing, and supporting talent and partnering with communities across the country to help students overcome the systemic barriers to an excellent education. The Ignite Fellowship brings exceptional, equity-minded leaders into classrooms virtually to add immediate value for students, while creating shifts towards the future of equitable learning.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending May 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.