International Day of Charity Date in the current year: September 5, 2024

International Day of Charity was originally conceived by Hungarian civil society with the support of the Hungarian parliament and government in 2011. The idea was presented to the United Nations, and the observance was established officially in December 2012.

The date of September 5 was chosen to honor Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She was a Roman Catholic religious sister and missionary who established the religious congregation Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for founding the congregation.

International Day of Charity aims at raising awareness and providing a common platform for charity related activities across the world. It also recognizes the importance of charity as a means of promoting solidarity, dialog and mutual understanding among people from different countries. On September 5, numerous charity events, fund raisers, and public awareness-raising and educational activities are organized by charitable, volunteer and philanthropic organizations.