Public Interest Registry Announces Plans to Expand Top-Level Domains Available to Mission-Driven Organizations

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Dec 08, 2021, 09:00 ET

RESTON, Va., Dec. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Interest Registry (PIR), the non-profit behind the .ORG top-level domain (TLD), today announced a strategic expansion of its registry portfolio of top-level domains to support mission-driven organizations as they strive to make the world a better place.

PIR's planned expansion begins with the acquisition of .GIVING from Giving Limited. Once the transfer is finalized, PIR will offer access to this brand new TLD to help mission-driven organizations expand their online presence and achieve their goals.

PIR also will become the steward of the .FOUNDATION, .CHARITY, and .GIVES TLDs. These TLDs will be transferred to PIR by Donuts, and they will partner to reintroduce them to the market. This will provide additional options for organizations and leaders seeking to differentiate their brands and engage with their communities of interest.

"PIR recognizes that more and stronger mission-driven organizations make the world a better place, and we also know that each mission-driven organization has different needs for establishing its online presence," said Jon Nevett, president and CEO of Public Interest Registry. "While .ORG will continue to be the gold standard for mission-driven organizations, the expansion of our mission-driven TLD portfolio will provide leaders complementary options for branding, marketing, and differentiating their organizations."

As it strengthens its portfolio of mission-driven TLDs, PIR is also making two TLDs – .NGO and .ONG – easier to use. At the end of 2020, PIR streamlined its validation process so that organizations can acquire and use .NGO and .ONG domains faster. Building on this change, PIR now is proposing to fully separate the .NGO and .ONG registrations. This will simplify how organizations support their brands and make it easier for PIR's registrar partners to support the TLDs.

PIR will follow the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) processes for review and approval of these proposed changes in the coming months. PIR also announced today that it will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for its Registry Service Provider (RSP) contract in the second half of 2023.

"Taken collectively, these actions underscore PIR's commitment to providing choices and the best registry services to mission-driven organizations," added Nevett.

About Public Interest Registry
Public Interest Registry (PIR) is a nonprofit that operates the .ORG top-level domain—one of the world's largest generic top-level domains with more than 10.5 million domain names registered worldwide. PIR has been a champion for a free and open Internet for two decades with a clear mission to be an exemplary domain name registry, provide a trusted digital identity and help educate those who dedicate themselves to improving our world. PIR was founded by the Internet Society (internetsociety.org) in 2002 and is based in Reston, Virginia, USA.

Media Contact:
Scott Gerber
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SOURCE Public Interest Registry