Are you ready to plan for the upcoming fundraising year? Check out the list of awareness dates and holidays to make sure you don’t miss any fundraising opportunities!
Most global cause awareness days and months stay the same in 2020, as they were in 2019. We found a few new ones to add to the list though! Check out the bold bullets for some fresh ideas.
Update: View our updated list for 2021 here!
And we added in some weeks this time around, which could be useful for your organization!
January 2020
Days:
- 11th National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
- 16th National Religious Freedom Day
- 20th World Religion Day
- 20th Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
- 27th International Outer Space Day
Month Long:
- Cervical Health Awareness Month
- Dry January
- National Blood Donor Month (United States)
- National Glaucoma Awareness Month (United States)
- Thyroid Awareness Month
- Healthy Weight Awareness Month (United States)
- National Mentoring Month (United States)
National Catholic Schools Week (from January 26th, United States)
February 2020
Days:
- 2nd World Wetlands Day
- 4th World Cancer Day
- 5th Safer Internet Day — #SID19
- 13th World Radio Day
- 14th World Bonobo Day
- 14th Valentine’s Day
- 16th World Whale Day
- 17th President’s Day (United States)
- 17th Random Acts of Kindness Day
- 20th World Day of Social Justice
- 21st International Mother Language Day
- 26th World Spay Day
- 27th International Polar Bear Day
- 28th Rare Disease Day
- 28th Digital Learning Day
- 29th Leap Year Day
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, along with Black History Month (United States) and American Heart Month.
It also has National Eating Awareness Disorder Week, from the 23rd.
March 2020
Days:
- 2nd Read Across America Day (United States)
- 3rd World Wildlife Day
- 8th International Women’s Day
- 14th World Kidney Day
- 15th World Consumer Rights Day
- 15th World Sleep Day
- 21st International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- 21st International Day of Forests
- 21st World Down Syndrome Day
- 21st World Poetry Day
- 21st International Day of Nowruz
- 22nd World Water Day
- 23rd World Meteorological Day
- 24th World Tuberculosis Day
- 26th Purple Day – Epilepsy Awareness Day
- 30th Earth Hour
National Poison Prevention Week NPPW is from March 15-21 this year.
March 15-21 is International Adolescent Health Week.
Month Long:
- Brain Injury Awareness Month
- Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
- Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month
- National Women’s History Month (United States)
- Red Cross Month
- Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
- National Umbrella Month (United States)
- Ethics Awareness Month (United States)
- National Caffeine Awareness Month (United States)
- National Nutrition Month (United States)
April 2020
Days:
- 1st Fun at Work Day
- 2nd World Autism Awareness Day
- 7th World Health Day
- 12th International Day for Street Children
- 12th Easter Sunday
- 13th National Sarcoidosis Awareness Day
- 14th World Dolphin Day
- 15th World Art Day
- 19th, 20th, and 21st Global Youth Service Days
- 20th Volunteer Recognition Day
- 22nd Earth Day
- 22nd Administrative Professionals’ Day (United States)
- 23rd World Book Day
- 25th World Malaria Day
- 25th World Penguin Day
- 26th World Intellectual Property Day
- 29th International Dance Day
- 30th International Jazz Day
Month Long:
- April is Month of the Military Child
- Alcohol Awareness Month
- Autism Awareness Month
- National Youth Sports Safety Month (United States)
- Parkinson’s Awareness Month
- Stress Awareness Month
- Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
- World Habitat Awareness Month
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month
- Donate Life Month
- Math Awareness Month
Also, Volunteer Appreciation Week in the United States is the 19th to the 25th.
May 2020
Days:
- 1st International Labor Day
- 3rd World Press Freedom Day
- 4th Melanoma Monday
- 6th Melanoma Monday
- 10th Mother’s Day
- 10th World Lupus Day
- 11th World Fair Trade Day
- 12th World Migratory Bird Day
- 15th International Day of Families
- 17th Endangered Species Day
- 17th International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia
- 17th World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
- 18th International Museum Day
- 20th AiArthritis Day. International event to raise awareness about AUTOimmune & AUTOinflammatory diseases.
- 21st World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
- 22nd International Day for Biological Diversity
- 23rd World Turtle Day
- 25th Memorial Day (United States)
- 29th International Day for UN Peacekeepers
- 31st World No Tobacco Day
Month Long:
- Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- Better Hearing and Speech Month
- Clean Air Month
- Foster Care Month
- Mental Health Awareness Month
- National Barbeque Month (United States)
- National Arthritis Month (United States)
- National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month (United States)
- National Physical Fitness and Sports Month (United States)
- National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month (United States)
In the United States, Nurses’ Week falls from the 6th to the 12th. Women’s Health Week is the 10th to the 16th. And Teacher Appreciation Week is the 4th to the 8th.
June 2020
Days:
- 1st Global Day of Parents
- 5th World Environment Day
- 8th World Oceans Day
- 12th World Day Against Child Labor
- 14th World Blood Donor Day
- 17th World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
- 20th World Refugee Day
- 21st Father’s Day
- 21st International Day of Yoga
- 22nd World Rainforest Day
- 23rd Gay Pride Day
- 23rd International Widows Day
- 26th International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
- 30th International Asteroid Day
Month Long:
- Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
- International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- Professional Wellness Month
- It is also Adopt a Cat Month!
July 2020
Days:
- 4th Independence Day
- 4th International Day of Cooperatives
- 11th World Population Day
- 12th Malala Day
- 15th World Youth Skills Day
- 18th Nelson Mandela International Day
- 28th World Hepatitis Day
- 29th Global Tiger Day
- 30th World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
- 30th International Day of Friendship
July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month.
The 7th through the 13th is National Therapeutic Recreation Week in the United States.
August 2020
Days:
- 1st National Minority Donor Awareness Day (United States)
- 8th International Cat Day
- 9th International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
- 10th World Lion Day
- 12th International Youth Day
- 12th World Elephant Day
- 17th National Nonprofit Day
- 17th International Homeless Animal Day
- 19th World Humanitarian Day
- 26th International Dog Day
- 29th International Day Against Nuclear Tests
Month Long:
- American Indian Heritage Month
- Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
- National Breastfeeding Month (United States)
- National Immunization Awareness Month (United States)
World Breastfeeding Week is the 1st to the 7th.
September 2020
Days:
- 5th International Day of Charity
- 7th Labor Day (United States)
- 8th International Literacy Day
- 10th World Suicide Prevention Day
- 13th World Sepsis Day
- 15th International Day of Democracy
- 17th Still’s Disease Awareness Day
- 21st International Day of Peace
- 22nd World Rhino Day
- 27th World Tourism Day
- 28th World Rabies Day
- 29th World Rivers Day
- 29th World Heart Day
September is World Alzheimer’s Month and Biodiversity Month. It is also Healthy Aging Month, World Sepsis Month and Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month and National Suicide Prevention Month and September is also Sickle Cell Awareness Month.
October 2020
Days:
- 1st International Day of Older Persons
- 2nd International Day of Nonviolence
- 4th World Animal Day
- 5th World Teachers’ Day
- 6th World Cerebral Palsy Day
- 7th World Habitat Day
- 8th World Sight Day
- 9th World Post Day
- 10th World Mental Health Day
- 10th World Homeless Day
- 11th International Day of the Girl Child
- 12th Indigenous Peoples’ Day / Columbus Day (United States)
- 12th World Arthritis Day
- 15th International Day of Rural Women
- 16th World Food Day
- 16th Global Cat Day
- 17th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
- 18th World Values Day
- 24th United Nations Day
- 27th World Day of Audiovisual Heritage
- 29th World Internet Day
- 31st World Cities Day
Month Long:
- Cyber Security Month
- Down Syndrome Awareness Month (United States)
- Energy Awareness Month (United States)
- Hunger Awareness Month (United States)
- Learning Disabilities Awareness Month (United States)
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- LGBT History Month (United States)
- SIDS Awareness Month (United States)
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month (United States)
- National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
November 2020
Days:
- 10th World Science Day for Peace and Development
- 11th Veterans’ Day (United States)
- 12th World Pneumonia Day
- 13th World Kindness Day
- 14th World Diabetes Day
- 15th World Philosophy Day
- 16th International Day for Tolerance
- 19th World Toilet Day
- 20th Universal Children’s Day
- 20th Africa Industrialization Day
- 21st World Pancreatic Cancer Day
- 21st World Television Day
- 25th International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
- 26th Thanksgiving Day (United States)
.
Month Long:
- National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM)
- Recycling Awareness Month
- Lung Cancer Awareness Month
- National Native American Heritage Month
- National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
- Great American Smoke Out Month
December 2020
Days:
- 1st World AIDS Day
- 1st Giving Tuesday
- 3rd International Day of People with Disabilities
- 5th International Volunteer Day
- 5th World Soil Day
- 7th International Civil Aviation Day
- 9th International Anti-Corruption Day
- 10th International Human Rights Day
- 11th International Mountain Day
- 18th International Migrants Day
- 20th International Human Solidarity Day
In December Hanukah falls on the 10th to 18th, the 25th is Christmas, and the 26th to January 1st is Kwanzaa.
Sources:
We found many of these dates on the great lists over at Observances.global and Motivators.com.
>> Please add your favorite awareness dates in the comments!