International Day of Charity - September 5, the UN day for charitable giving

International Day of Charity on September 5 is the UN International Day recognizing the role of charity in alleviating humanitarian crises, human suffering, and promoting dialogue and solidarity among peoples. Established by UN General Assembly Resolution 67/105 in December 2012, the day marks the anniversary of Mother Teresa\'s death and is observed in 100+ countries. Not a public holiday.

The one-line summary

UN International Day every September 5 for charitable giving. Established 2012 by UNGA Resolution 67/105. Marks Mother Teresa\'s death anniversary. Focuses on humanitarian relief and solidarity. Not a public holiday.

Origin and history

International Day of Charity was established by the UN General Assembly on December 7, 2012, in Resolution 67/105. The resolution was led by Hungary and supported by 44 UN member states. It recognized that charity plays a key role in promoting dialogue and solidarity among peoples and in mobilizing resources for humanitarian relief efforts. The date chosen - September 5 - marks the anniversary of Mother Teresa\'s death on September 5, 1997, in recognition of her global charitable legacy.

The first International Day of Charity was observed on September 5, 2013. The day was formally established in part to highlight the role of charitable organizations in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (the predecessor to the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015). The day has grown in scope as global humanitarian needs have expanded, particularly with the rise of complex emergencies in Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Sudan, and other regions.',

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa (born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, August 26, 1910 - September 5, 1997) was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, in 1950. The order\'s mission was to serve "the poorest of the poor" - lepers, the dying, orphans, and the destitute. By the time of her death, the order operated over 600 missions in over 120 countries, including hospices, orphanages, and leprosy clinics.

Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, the Bharat Ratna (India\'s highest civilian honor) in 1980, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003. Her death on September 5, 1997, prompted the choice of the date by the UN. While Mother Teresa\'s work has been broadly celebrated, her legacy has also generated debate: critics have noted the order\'s positions on contraception, abortion, and conversion, while supporters point to the scale of humanitarian service delivered.',

Global charitable sector

The global charitable sector is estimated at over $500 billion annually according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies and the Charities Aid Foundation. The sector includes over 10 million registered charities and an estimated 250 million volunteers worldwide. The United States accounts for approximately $485 billion in annual charitable giving (Giving USA 2024), followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands. Religious and faith-inspired organizations account for an estimated 35-40% of global charitable activity.

Cross-border philanthropy has grown significantly, with the OECD reporting over $70 billion in cross-border philanthropic flows in 2023. The largest cross-border givers are foundations (Gates, Wellcome, Mastercard, Ford, Rockefeller), faith-inspired organizations, and bilateral government aid. Private philanthropy plays an outsized role in global health (Gates Foundation alone has committed more than $60 billion to global health since 2000), education, and climate adaptation.',

How it is observed

International Day of Charity is marked by UN flagship events at UN headquarters and Geneva, charity campaigns by UNICEF, UNHCR, World Food Programme, and other UN agencies, corporate matching-gift programmes, school and university charity drives, and faith-inspired service events. The Charities Aid Foundation\'s "World Giving Index" is typically published around the day, ranking countries by charitable behavior.

Notable campaigns include the "Giving Tuesday" movement (which has its own separate giving day in late November/early December), workplace-giving matching programmes, faith-based service days, and disaster relief appeals following humanitarian emergencies. The UN\'s annual spotlight campaigns have focused on different themes - education for refugees (2018), girls\' education (2020), COVID-19 response (2021), and Ukraine humanitarian relief (2022).',

Sustainable Development Goals and charity

The UN\'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015, explicitly recognize the role of charitable giving and philanthropy in advancing the global agenda. Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) specifically calls for mobilizing additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources, including philanthropy. Goal 17.17 emphasizes "public, public-private and civil society partnerships" as essential to the 2030 Agenda.

The UN has increasingly partnered with charitable foundations. The SDG Philanthropy Platform, launched in 2014, connects foundations to SDG-related work. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Mastercard Foundation, and other major foundations have committed billions of dollars to SDG-aligned programmes. UN agencies like UNICEF and UNHCR have received substantial philanthropic contributions, with UNICEF receiving approximately $1.5 billion in private sector contributions in 2023.',

International Day of Charity by the numbers

Sources

• UN General Assembly Resolution 67/105 (International Day of Charity).
• UN-Habitat, World Cities Report (2024): unhabitat.org
• New Urban Agenda (Habitat III, 2016).
• UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 progress reports.
• UN-DESA Population Division, World Urbanization Prospects.