Teach for America's goal is to encourage high achieving college students to teach in low income and under-performing schools across America. The organization has grown rapidly from its original class of 100 teachers to over 5,000 currently enrolled. In some cases, these teachers have been shown to have an even greater effect on their students' performance than veteran teachers. Today, over 2 million students have had a Teach for America teacher. The organization recruits students from over 100 campuses, looking for prospective teachers with a track record of achievement, perseverance, motivation, leadership, and especially a passion for the mission of improving the lives of the children they teach.

While Teach for America is a national organization, its strength comes from the local ties it has with the communities where it places teachers and with the colleges it recruits from. Over 70% of its funds come from local sources, like the school districts, businesses, and individuals in the areas where they serve. It also receives 70% of its funding from the private sector, with the public sector providing the other 30%. In addition to its rapid domestic growth, it recently launched a global organization called Teach for All, seeking to replicate the methods and success of Teach for America in the developing world.