By Dennis Ullman
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August 27, 2025
Perspective from over 30 years of fund-raising experience We have been hearing so much about “change” throughout the past couple of months. During the election campaigns, everyone spoke of a better Canada, time for a change, etc. I heard many years ago that “everyone wants progress and growth, but very few want to experience change” In fact, we are often fearful of real change. At the same time, we complain about the political situation, finances, local leaders and now, regardless of the final outcome – many people will be unhappy with the results of the recent federal election. Take the United States for example, “everyone” wanted change, so the majority voted in President Trump. Yes, he is making drastic changes, but people are complaining about the changes. The way to make a real difference or make a significant change, is to do something different that will hopefully bring about something new, different results, perhaps something better for all. If we don’t implement or try something different or new… change will never take place. Hopefully we can agree that reducing the need for Food Banks, minimizing impact of import/export tariffs, and a solution that would provide access to affordable housing would be a real change. I have an idea… what if we took all of the leftover Foreign Currency we have and donated it to a charitable organization? Yes, taking our change (coins) and using them to support real change in our community and in fact the entire country. What if we stopped storing up our leftover foreign currency, bank notes and coins and instead we donated this currency to help support change. I can hear the responses coming through already. How would this be possible? It will never make an impact, etc. What we do know is that Food Banks report that you can actually feed an adult or small family for around $75 per week. Some may argue, but the source of this statistic comes from the Food Bank networks… Let’s do the math… $100K in donations would feed over 133,000 for a week… to feed 133,000 for a year would cost approximately $5.2 Million. Considering that there is between $2-3 Billion available in leftover foreign currency, this is actually very realistic. With lots of potential funds still available to assist with the need for affordable housing and other needs in the community. We could assist seniors, disadvantaged youth, children living invulnerable situations, mental heath supports, summer camps for kids and the list goes on… What we need to do is make a real change. Rather than storing up our leftover foreign currency, which is what the majority of us currently do. We also have no real plan to use these funds and we can’t exchange most of the coins and some denominations into Canadian currency. So, now is the time to take our “change” and make a real change in our country. We don’t need to ask the government for additional funding or their permission to donate our leftover foreign currency. So, let’s go ahead make a real difference by donating to our charity of choice TODAY! The donation of leftover foreign currency does not come from our disposable income, so no direct impact on our day-to-day living. It’s time to donate those bags, boxes and containers of currency you were not able to return to the bank or currency exchange. Are you willing to make a real change? While helping to minimize the impact of the negative and strive to make life more positive for our family, friends and neighbours For over ten years, Global Coin Solutions (GCS) has been repatriating leftover Foreign Currency in support of charities and not-for-profit organizations. During this time, over $20 million was collected, hand sorted, repatriated and at the end of the process donated to hundreds of charitable organizations. Visit the GCS on YouTube for more information. Did You Know? If you are seeking a charity to receive your donation, or if your charity of choice is not aware of Foreign Currency Collection Programs, reach out to the team at Global Coin Solutions (GCS) and we’ll ensure that your donation is processed and the funds are provided to assist your charity of choice. Please visit the GCS website for more information https://www.globalcoinsolutions.com/ . Your donations could help to support Currency for Kids, Currency for Food or many other organizations. Please donate your leftover foreign currency today. Now is the time for you to begin helping to Change the World, One Cent at a Time. For more information contact Dennis Ullman, Vice-President – Innovation and Development, Global Coin Solutions dennis@globalcoinsolutions.com or visit Global Coin Solutions today.