What is Foreign Currency Fundraising? How to Donate Your Leftover Foreign Coins and Notes
Do you have leftover coins or notes from your overseas travels? Instead of letting them sit in the back of your drawer, you can turn them into impactful contributions by donating to a charity that accepts foreign currency.
Whether you’re a traveler with spare change or a charity seeking to diversify your fundraising methods, this guide will show you how to get started.
What is Foreign Currency Fundraising?
If you’ve ever dropped coins from a trip into a donation box at an airport or onboard a flight, you’ve participated in foreign currency fundraising. It’s essentially a means for charities and organizations to accept contributions in multiple currencies, such as USD, Japanese yen, Indian rupees, Vietnamese dong, Euro, and Thai baht, enabling charities to expand their donation pool. In effect, this helps to maximize the charity’s impact and fund important causes.
However, this also comes with a couple of challenges. Firstly, coins and notes of various currencies become mixed and jumbled together when collected. Secondly, since foreign coins aren’t circulated domestically, they must be sorted and repatriated to their countries of origin to regain value. Charities often lack the infrastructure to handle these operations, so third-party organizations specializing in cash logistics step in to help. These partners ensure the funds are processed efficiently, leaving charities free to focus on their mission. Notable organizations using this approach include UNICEF, Peace Boat Disaster Relief, and JOICFP.
It’s also worth noting that foreign currency donations can take the form of international digital payments, offering a convenient way to contribute globally. However, these digital payments come with their own hurdles, such as fluctuating exchange rates and transaction fees.
Why Donate Your Leftover Foreign Currency?
It’s a simple way to make a difference and gives you a great reason to make use of coins left over from an overseas trip. Beyond convenience, however, donating foreign currency to charities and NPOs means you’re making an important contribution that has a positive impact on causes such as social welfare, education, disaster relief, and other essential services. It’s a great feeling knowing that your contribution is making someone smile! Foreign currency donations also promote sustainability by recirculating money back into the economy via repatriation, saving it from being unused in a foreign country.
Key Organizations in Japan that accept Foreign Currency Donations
Here are some Japan-based organizations that accept foreign currency:
UNICEF
Accepts in-flight donations via its Change For Good program in collaboration with JAL.
Donations are also accepted at select Mitsui Sumitomo Bank branches, JTB Group offices, or Mainichi Shimbun locations.
You can choose to contribute to UNICEF via Pocket Change Kiosks that accept currencies like USD, EUR, CNY, KRW, and THB.
ADRA Japan
Accepts coins and notes for disaster relief and education programs.
Donations can be mailed in via secure bags, though the donor needs to cover the postage fee. More info can be found here (in Japanese).
Peace Boat Disaster Relief
Accepts various foreign currencies, including USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, and KRW. Visit their website for mailing details (in Japanese).
JOICFP (Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning)
Supports sexual and reproductive health rights. They accept foreign coins and notes via registered mail (kakitome) to ensure safe delivery. More information on the process can be found here (in Japanese).
SHAPLA NEER
Collects foreign currency cash and coins through mail-in and on-site operations to support the lives of children, families, and the underprivileged throughout South Asian countries like Bangladesh and Nepal.
How to Donate Your Foreign Currency
Here’s how you can turn your leftover currency into a charitable impact:
Identify a charity of choice that is collecting foreign currency.
Confirm their collection method. Some organizations offer mailing options, while others provide designated donation bins or kiosks. Drop-off bins are often found at airports, charity centers, or partner businesses. Pocket Change kiosks also allow you to donate foreign coins to a partnered charity.
Donate your foreign currency on-site or via mail-in.
Note that currency that is no longer in circulation may not be accepted. You can check with the organization for any additional requirements.
How Charities Can Get Involved in Foreign Currency Fundraising
Set up a route for foreign currency fundraising
Charities can more easily tap into foreign currency fundraising by partnering with third-party organizations such as Global Coin Solutions. Since logistics can be a barrier to entry, cash management solutions help enable currency collection, repatriation, and fund transfer. Innovative solutions like Pocket Change kiosks or mail-in options also provide flexible ways for people to contribute.
Run a campaign that includes foreign currency
Allow donors to contribute their foreign currency in addition to local currency. Make sure to include this as an option in any promotional material.
In summary
Foreign currency fundraising turns leftover coins and notes into powerful contributions to local and global causes. It’s an easy, sustainable way to give back—whether through airport donations, mail-in programs, or kiosks like Pocket Change. Not only will you be making a positive impact on your cause of choice, you’ll be contributing to a more circular economy.
If you’d like to learn more about foreign currency fundraising, you can get in touch with our GTJ partner Global Coin Solutions (via their site https://www.globalcoinsolutions.com/ or email contact@globalcoinsolutions.com).
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