International Day of Charity
A/RES/67/105
A/RES/67/105
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
International Day of Charity is a United Nations observance on 5 September that recognizes the role charitable action can play in alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering and in promoting solidarity and understanding.
The day can include giving money, goods, time or organizational support, but responsible participation should prioritize credible organizations, transparent needs and respectful treatment of the people being supported.
Why it matters
Charity can respond to immediate needs, while long-term social problems may also require public services, rights-based approaches, policy change or sustained community organization. The observance does not require treating charity as a substitute for those systems.
Donors should also distinguish an organization’s charitable purpose from its legal or tax status, which varies by jurisdiction.
History
The UN General Assembly designated 5 September as the International Day of Charity through resolution A/RES/67/105 in 2012.
The date is the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa, whose charitable work is referenced in the UN background for the observance.
United Nations event records identify 5 September 2013 as the first observance of the International Day of Charity.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
Permanent Mission of Hungary to the United Nations
The Secretary-General explicitly states that the General Assembly proclaimed the Day at the initiative of the Permanent Mission of Hungary; the 2012 General Assembly meeting record also shows Hungary introducing draft resolution A/67/L.35.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/67/105
First documented observance
United Nations event records identify 5 September 2013 as the first observance of the International Day of Charity.
What the evidence establishes
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
Ways to observe
Research a cause and give through a transparent organization whose work and safeguards you can understand.
Contribute useful goods only when an organization has asked for them, rather than assuming donations are needed.
Pair fundraising with education about the underlying issue and the people or communities leading solutions.
Check local rules before organizing a public collection, raffle or other regulated fundraising activity.
Useful facts
International Day of Charity is observed on 5 September.
The UN General Assembly designated the day in 2012 through resolution A/RES/67/105.
The date is the anniversary of Mother Teresa’s death in 1997.
The UN resolution emphasizes education and public awareness as well as charitable action.
Legal charity status and tax treatment are jurisdiction-specific.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
UN Web TV — International Day of Charity first observance, 5 September 2013 (opens in a new tab)
un.org — authoritative source (opens in a new tab)
United Nations General Assembly Meetings Coverage — Hungary introduces A/67/L.35, International Day of Charity (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Secretary-General — International Day of Charity message, 5 September 2014 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — Resolution A/RES/67/105 (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Charity?
5 September The stored recurrence guidance is: 5 September.
Does International Day of Charity fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is International Day of Charity an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United Nations international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Day of Charity?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Permanent Mission of Hungary to the United Nations.
Is International Day of Charity international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: United Nations international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-05.
Is International Day of Charity the same as International Volunteer Day?
No. Charity can include giving funds or other resources, while International Volunteer Day on 5 December specifically highlights volunteer service and participation.
Why is International Day of Charity on 5 September?
The UN chose the anniversary of Mother Teresa’s death when designating the day in resolution A/RES/67/105.
Does the UN observance make an organization a registered charity?
No. Legal charity or tax-exempt status depends on the laws and registration systems of the relevant jurisdiction.
How this differs from closely related observances
These distinctions are separately reviewed and source-backed. They clarify scope; they do not change either authority record.
Is International Day of Charity the same as International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development?
International Day of Charity on 5 September highlights charitable action and solidarity. International Volunteer Day on 5 December specifically recognizes volunteering and volunteer participation.
Open International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development →Distinction sources
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These records also resolve to September 5, 2027 under the current authority data.
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