What do you do with your leftover coins?

Whenever I’m go on vacation, I keep some leftover coins for my collection and spend the rest at the airport duty free shops. But no matter how hard I try, I usually find a few more when I unpack.

Since currency exchanges and banks don’t buy back leftover coins, I usually add them to my collection. But that’s becoming quite sizable and very heavy.

On my last trip, I was pleased to hear Virgin Airlines’ appeal for leftover coins — but I didn’t have any, or so I thought. (I found a few Euros when I got home.)

Later, I did some research and discovered UNICEF’s Change for Good® program.

Change for Good is a partnership between UNICEF and the international airline industry. It was established in 1987 to help UNICEF’s mission to reduce the number of preventable childhood deaths.

Change for Good allows passengers on nine participating airlines to donate their leftover U.S. and foreign currencies to flight attendants on board and at Admirals Clubs and Flagship Lounges worldwide.

The airlines participating are Aer Lingus, Alitalia, All Nippon Airways (ANA), American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines (JAL) and QANTAS.

Virgin Airlines and British Airways have their own programs.

If you find yourself with leftover coins when you get home, don’t panic — you can still donate. Send them to:

U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Attn: Change for Good

125 Maiden Lane

According to UNICEF’s website, because donations of leftover foreign coins are processed in bulk by a third party vendor, the acknowledgement you’ll receive for your donation will, unfortunately, not specify the amount of your gift. But you shouldn’t let that dissuade you from donating.

The global Change for Good program has generated over 90 million dollars for UNICEF. That’s no small change!

I can’t think of a better way to get rid of leftover coins.