International Volunteer Day
Next: December 5, 2026
Thank someone who gives their time.
The story
Where it comes from
The UN General Assembly created International Volunteer Day in 1985, in resolution 40/212, to acknowledge volunteers and promote the spirit of volunteering at local, national and international levels. Volunteering means giving time, skills and energy freely to benefit others or a cause, whether through an organisation or informally, by helping people directly. The United Nations Volunteers programme joins the celebrations each year, highlighting people-led solutions to the challenges we share.
How it's celebrated
Charities, community groups and governments use the day to thank their volunteers and invite new ones, and the UN encourages online volunteering, so anyone can help from home. It is also the simplest card to send: a thank-you to someone who gives their time for nothing in return.
Did you know
- The UN estimates there are about a billion volunteers worldwide, and around 70 per cent of them volunteer informally, helping people in their own communities.
- Japan proposed the first International Year of Volunteers, 2001, and the resolution was co-sponsored by 123 countries.
- International Volunteer Day 2025 launched the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, 2026, in the UN General Assembly Hall.
Coming up next
- Edison's Phonograph Talks Back · December 6, 2026
- Finnish Independence Day · December 6, 2026
- International Civil Aviation Day · December 7, 2026
- Georges Méliès's Birthday · December 8, 2026
- International Anti-Corruption Day · December 9, 2026
- Human Rights Day · December 10, 2026