I completely agree with you. I've always been annoyed by it, as indeed it's a common wake-up thing or worse - when you run into the UNICEF maniac flight attendant. That happens at least once a year, the ISM or FA who gives you lip because you don't donate.

I hope this doesn't come across as callous, because it's not meant to be. Just don't sell yourself short - CX is happily patting themselves on the back for the UNICEF thing and using it as a promo. They are not in the business of charity. If they really had altruistic motives (which no profit-oriented business is truly going to have) they'd donate themselves and shut the hell up about it already, so definitely don't let them make you feel guilty. It's not like anybody on the flight learns about UNICEF through CX.

I'm sure you do, and I know I do, have the charities we donate to (one of mine is indeed UNICEF). Donating is the right thing to do. But my donations to UNICEF are between me and that organization, not me and CX. The idea that me lobbing in a few coins is going to do anything is absurd, and I find it patronizing when I get lip from FAs when I don't put my coins into the envelope. To their defense, I suppose the FAs indeed have all the right intentions in their mind so I shouldn't fault them, but CX corporate undoubtedly has more cynical motives (branding, be seen as a model of corporate responsibility, etc.).

Ironically, I think they announce the $ amt CX has raised for UNICEF, and it's some ridiculously small amount (maybe ten million or less HKD) considering it has been going on for something like a decade. Probably doesn't even cover the costs of printing those silly envelopes with fancy pictures.