As an NGO you might sometimes wonder why there is no domain with .ngo while there is .com for companies. Sharing the .org domain with charities and other such organizations has been a confusing status to NGOs from the early on. Also, since there is no mechanism to check the legal status of organizations before registering .org domain, anyone can buy it and use or abuse for her/his purpose.
The good news is here! Starting later this year, there will be an option for NGOs around the globe – a .ngo (or .ong, for French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish) domain that will be open to only the active organizations with limited government influence and working on public interest. The purpose of designing the .ngo domain is to help the non-profits with visibility, fundraising, and networking with peers.
What are the criteria?
- Applicants must be active organizations with limited government influence.
- Applicants must be able to decide their own policies and activities, independent of direct government or political control.
- Applicants must be focused on acting in public interest.
- NGO staff and members must be independent actors, not parts of political parties, and must act within the bounds of law.
- Applicants must be the authorized representative of the organization.
What will happen?
- The applicant NGO will ndergo the PIR validation process. Registrants will have 60 days to complete this, during which time their membership will be placed on server hold.
This validation process ensures that sites with a .ngo (or .ong) domain names are legitimate.
For more information, please visit NGOs can Now Sign Up for .ngo Domains.
