Applications to participate in Teach for America’s two-year program have risen by more than one third this year, in part because of a slow economy and better recruitment work on the part of the nonprofit organization, reports the Associated Press.

The program’s reputation is helping with fund raising and with recruiting on college campuses, the news agency reports. It has seen applications soar to 25,000, and its annual budget has increased from $40-million in 2005 to about $110-million this year, a change that has allowed for more recruiting.

At least one major donor, Eli Broad, who has given $16-million to the organization, is planning a larger contribution in the near future.

“It’s one of the best investments our foundation has made,” Mr. Broad, a California financier, tells the Associated Press.

Still, some critics observe that Teach for America teachers are less likely to embark on a full teaching profession than traditionally trained teachers and more often leave the classroom behind. The organization estimates that one-third of its alumni stay in the classroom, the news agency reports.

Read a Chronicle special report about the growth spurt of Teach for America and other new organizations seeking to spread their ideas across the country.

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