Make A Difference Day
Points of Light documents Make A Difference Day as beginning in 1992 and taking place annually on the fourth Saturday in October.
Date and recurrence
Fourth Saturday in October
This observance follows a reusable calendar rule rather than one fixed Gregorian date. The actual date can move from year to year. Rule: Fourth Saturday in October each year.
Scope and status
The verified scope stored for this record is United States / volunteer-service tradition associated with USA WEEKEND and Points of Light. The site preserves that boundary and does not infer broader government, global or public-holiday status from the observance name alone.
Also known as
Make a Difference Day, Make A Difference Day
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.
Sources
- Points of Light — Make A Difference Day historyFirst Party Nonprofit
- Points of Light — enduring service historyFirst Party Nonprofit
Frequently asked questions
When is Make A Difference Day?
Fourth Saturday in October The stored recurrence guidance is: Fourth Saturday in October each year..
Does Make A Difference Day fall on the same date every year?
It follows a recurring calendar rule, so the Gregorian date can change from year to year.
Is Make A Difference Day an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United States / volunteer-service tradition associated with USA WEEKEND and Points of Light. 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 Make A Difference Day?
The stored designation basis is: Points of Light documents Make A Difference Day as beginning in 1992 and taking place annually on the fourth Saturday in October.. Supporting provenance includes Points of Light — Make A Difference Day history. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is Make A Difference Day international or country-specific?
This authority record is country-scoped to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / volunteer-service tradition associated with USA WEEKEND and Points of Light.
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 2026-09-10.
Other observances on October 24
These records also resolve to October 24, 2026 under the current authority data.
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National Kangaroo Awareness Day
National Today places National Kangaroo Awareness Day on October 24 annually, and Awareness Days independently uses October 24 for the Australian wildlife observance.
National One United Race Day
National Day Archives identifies One United Race as the 2019 founder and gives the fourth Saturday in October; current calendars preserve the same recurrence.
United Nations Day
A/RES/168 (II)
World Development Information Day
A/RES/3038 (XXVII)