<P> In 1953 , the United States Committee for UNICEF , now called the U.S. Fund for UNICEF , started actively promoting the program . By the 1960s , the concept had expanded throughout the United States , with small orange collection boxes distributed to millions of trick - or - treaters . When UNICEF won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 , U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson said in his congratulatory letter : `` Your UNICEF Trick or Treat Day has helped turn a holiday too often marred by youthful vandalism into a program of basic training in world citizenship . '' In 1967 , Johnson declared Halloween , October 31 , to be ' UNICEF Day ' in the United States ; by 1969 , 3.5 million American children were trick - or - treating for donations . Children ( and adults ) in the U.S. have collected more than US $ 175 million for Trick - or - Treat for UNICEF . Donations to Trick - or - Treat for UNICEF support UNICEF 's global programing , but in 2005 , half of the proceeds were targeted to a domestic cause , aiding victims of Hurricane Katrina . In 2008 , the U.S. Fund for UNICEF introduced mobile phone text message donations as well as a MySpace and Facebook page . In 2014 , the U.S. Fund for UNICEF partnered with Crowdrise to expand the campaign 's online presence , allowing participants to create personal fundraising web pages in addition to traditional door - to - door trick - or - treating . </P>
where does trick or treat for unicef money go
UNICEF 's global programing