International Day of Charity
Next: September 5, 2027
Give something. Anything.
The story
Where it comes from
The United Nations General Assembly declared 5 September the International Day of Charity in 2012, on a proposal from Hungary. The date is the anniversary of the death in 1997 of Mother Teresa, who spent half a century working with the poorest people of Kolkata and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
How it's celebrated
Charities run donation drives and volunteer days; companies match staff giving; schools collect for a cause. The UN uses the day to link charity to the Sustainable Development Goals. Many people simply give to something they have been meaning to support.
Did you know
- Mother Teresa's order, the Missionaries of Charity, began in 1950 with twelve members and now runs hundreds of missions in more than 130 countries.
- Indonesia has topped the World Giving Index, a global survey of generosity, for several years running; Kenya, Myanmar and Nigeria also rank high.
- Zakat, the Islamic obligation to give a share of one's wealth each year, is estimated to move hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Coming up next
- The First Voyage Around the World · September 6, 2027
- Labor Day · September 6, 2027
- International Day of Clean Air for blue skies · September 7, 2027
- International Literacy Day · September 8, 2027
- World Physiotherapy Day · September 8, 2027
- International Day to Protect Education from Attack · September 9, 2027