About International Day of Charity
The International Day of Charity is observed on 5 September, the date Mother Teresa died in Kolkata in 1997. The UN General Assembly created it in December 2012 on a proposal from Hungary, to encourage giving and volunteering. In India the same date is far better known as Teachers' Day. In 2027 it falls on Sunday, 5 September 2027.
What is the International Day of Charity and why is it on 5 September?
The International Day of Charity is a United Nations observance held on 5 September to encourage giving, volunteering and philanthropy. The date is the anniversary of Mother Teresa's death in Kolkata on 5 September 1997.
It started as a civil society idea in Hungary, which the Hungarian Parliament and government backed in 2011. Hungary then took it to the United Nations, and on 17 December 2012 the General Assembly adopted resolution 67/105, co-sponsored by 44 member states, fixing 5 September as the International Day of Charity.
In India, 5 September belongs to someone else. It is Teachers' Day, the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and that is what schools, offices and family WhatsApp groups will be marking. If you post about charity on 5 September in India, say so clearly or your message will be read as a teacher's greeting.
Who was Mother Teresa, and why is the day tied to her?
Mother Teresa was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on 26 August 1910 in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman Empire. She came to India in 1929 as a Loreto nun and taught in Calcutta. In September 1946, on a train to Darjeeling, she described receiving what she later called a call within the call, to leave the convent and work among the poorest.
She received Vatican permission for the Missionaries of Charity on 7 October 1950. The order opened Nirmal Hriday, the home for the dying at Kalighat, in 1952. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and the Bharat Ratna in 1980. By her death the order had more than 4,000 sisters and over 600 houses in 123 countries. India gave her a state funeral. She was beatified in 2003 and declared a saint by Pope Francis on 4 September 2016.
Her work has also been criticised, and the criticism is part of the record rather than an insult to it. A 1994 article in The Lancet, written after a visit to the Kalighat home, reported that patients were not systematically diagnosed and that pain relief was thin, even though the order raised large sums. The journalist Christopher Hitchens argued she romanticised poverty instead of trying to end it. Defenders point out the Missionaries of Charity never claimed to run hospitals, and took in people whom hospitals had turned away.
How do Indians actually give?
Two things shape giving in India: religious giving that is centuries older than any NGO, and a company law that is unusual anywhere in the world.
| Way of giving | What it means |
|---|---|
| Daan and dakshina | Everyday Hindu giving, often at a temple, a festival or a death anniversary, frequently in the form of food, cloth or cash to a priest or a cause. |
| Zakat and sadaqah | Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam, an obligatory yearly payment customarily set at 2.5 per cent of qualifying savings held above a minimum called nisab. Sadaqah is voluntary giving, any amount, any time. |
| Dasvandh | The Sikh practice of setting aside a tenth of one's earnings for the community, formalised under Guru Arjan. It funds langar, the free kitchen at a gurdwara. |
| Corporate CSR | Companies above the thresholds in Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 must spend at least 2 per cent of average net profits on approved social causes. |
| Daan Utsav | India's giving week, run by volunteers since 2009, from 2 to 8 October each year, starting on Gandhi Jayanti. |
How do I check a charity before I donate?
Do about ten minutes of checking. In India, most of the information is public.
- Check registrationLook for the organisation's registration as a trust, society or Section 8 company, and its NGO Darpan ID if it takes government funds.
- Check tax statusAsk for its 12A and 80G numbers. 80G is what lets you claim a deduction on your own tax.
- Check foreign fundingAn organisation can only accept foreign donations with a valid FCRA registration. If it is asking your relatives abroad to give, this matters.
- Read the accountsAnnual reports and audited statements should be on the website. Look at what share goes to programmes rather than fundraising.
- Pay traceablyDonations above ₹2,000 must be in a mode other than cash to qualify under Section 80G, so use UPI, a bank transfer or a cheque and keep the receipt.
One more practical point. The Section 80G deduction is only available under the old income tax regime, so if you have moved to the new regime you will not get tax relief on your donation. Give anyway if you want to, but give with your eyes open.
What to write on the International Day of Charity
Nobody wants a charity greeting card. What people do read is a specific ask or a specific thank-you.
Do
- If you are asking, say the amount, what it buys and the link. "₹1,200 pays for one child's books for a year" beats "please give generously".
- Thank donors privately and by name; thank volunteers publicly.
- Say what the money did last year before asking for it again.
Avoid
- Don't announce what someone else gave. Many people give anonymously on purpose.
- Don't post photographs of children, patients or beneficiaries without written consent.
- Don't guilt people. Pressure raises money once and burns the relationship.
Your drive crossed its target before lunch. Well done. Count me in for the next one, and tell me what you need besides money.
I know you would rather nobody mentioned it, so this is just between us. Thank you for what you do for that school.
Your contribution last year paid for 40 school bags and two months of a teacher's salary. Here is the photo of the classroom, with the children's faces left out on purpose.
We need ₹60,000 by 30 September to keep the evening study centre open. ₹1,200 covers one child for a year. Link in the first comment, and 80G receipts are issued.
If you are thinking of a gift for my birthday this year, please send it to the flood relief fund instead. I will forward the receipt.
To everyone who sorted, packed and delivered this month: the giving is the easy part, the logistics are yours. Thank you.
Related days: International Volunteer Day on 5 December, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October, and Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October, when Daan Utsav begins.
How to wish someone on International Day of Charity
Nobody sends a charity day card, so treat this as a prompt rather than a greeting. The messages that work are a thank-you to someone who gives or raises money, a clear appeal with the amount and the link, or a note to a colleague running a drive. Do not name the amount someone else donated, and do not use photographs of the people being helped.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is International Day of Charity in 2026 and 2027?
International Day of Charity is on 5 Sept every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Charity in 2027?
International Day of Charity 2027 falls on Sunday, 5 September 2027.
Why is the International Day of Charity on 5 September?
Because Mother Teresa died in Kolkata on 5 September 1997. The UN General Assembly picked that date in resolution 67/105 of 17 December 2012, on a proposal from Hungary, where the idea began as a civil society campaign in 2011.
Is the International Day of Charity the same as Teachers' Day in India?
They fall on the same date but are unrelated. In India, 5 September is mainly observed as Teachers' Day, the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. The International Day of Charity is a UN observance that happens to share the date.
How do I check if an Indian NGO is genuine before donating?
Ask for its registration details, its 12A and 80G numbers, and its FCRA registration if it takes foreign money, then look up its NGO Darpan listing and read its audited accounts. Pay by UPI, transfer or cheque so you have a record.
Can I claim tax benefit on donations in India?
Donations to organisations registered under Section 80G give a deduction of either 50 or 100 per cent of the amount, subject to limits, but only if you file under the old tax regime. Any donation above ₹2,000 must be paid in a mode other than cash to qualify.
What is Daan Utsav?
Daan Utsav is India's own giving week, run by volunteers since 2009 from 2 to 8 October, beginning on Gandhi Jayanti. Schools, companies and neighbourhood groups organise their own events, from book drives to meals, rather than donating to one central fund.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .