October 2019 – Lauriane Lebrun, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

You may not be thinking about your 2020 calendar in much detail yet, but you’ll definitely want to do so before the holiday season chaos starts up.  Holidays and awareness days can serve as a great marketing opportunity, a reminder to show some extra gratitude to the people who make a difference in your organization, or just an occasion to give yourself a pat on the back for all your hard work.  To ensure you don’t miss out, here are six important dates for your nonprofit to make note of on next year’s calendar.

  • National Volunteer Week – April 19-25, 2020

According to its official organizers at Points of Light, National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 as “an opportunity to celebrate the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges, to build stronger communities and be a force that transforms the world.”  This holiday lasts a whole week, which means you’ll have plenty of time to recognize your awesome volunteers in multiple ways.  

  • National Nonprofit Day – August 17, 2020

While National Nonprofit Day has only been celebrated since 2017, its recurring date—August 17th—has been significant to nonprofits for much longer.  According to National Day Calendar, this was the day the Tariff Act of 1894 was signed into law.  The Tariff Act “imposed the first federal income tax on corporations, which included exemptions for nonprofit corporations and charitable institutions.”  Today, National Nonprofit Day is celebrated to commemorate the day the law was passed, and to “educate, enlighten and empower others to make a difference, while acknowledging those that are in the trenches, impacting lives every day.”

  • International Day of Charity – September 5, 2020

Recognized each year since 2012 on September 5th, the United Nations’ International Day of Charity marks the anniversary of Mother Teresa’s death.  According to Days of the Year, the holiday “commemorates the tireless work that Mother Teresa did by devoting her whole life to charity work.  To celebrate this special day every year, the work of different charities all over the word is publicized and celebrated, and people are encouraged to donate money and time, to carry out charitable works, and also to educate people and raise awareness about the many charitable issues worldwide.”

  • National Philanthropy Day – November 15, 2020

National Philanthropy Day has occurred annually on November 15th since 1986.  The Association of Fundraising Professionals describes it as a day that “provides an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of giving and all that it has made possible.  NPD celebrates the endless daily contributions individuals and organizations across the world make to countless causes and missions.”

  • #GivingTuesday – December 1, 2020

The #GivingTuesday movement occurs annually to encourage fundraising, volunteering, and acts of kindness all over the world.  I wrote an article about #GivingTuesday 2019, which you can check out here for more information and ideas regarding how to participate.

  • International Volunteer Day – December 5, 2020

International Volunteer Day is recognized each year on December 5th.  According to its organizers at the United Nations, the day serves as “a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.”  For nonprofits, International Volunteer Day is an excellent time to recruit new volunteers, as well as to thank those already donating their time to your organization.

The Lexian Management newsletter is for informational purposes only.

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