Public Interest Registry, the not-for-profit (NFP) operator of the .org domain will soon launch two closely linked web domains, .ngo and .ong to assist Australian NFPs in building an online presence and establish trust and credibility.
“The launch of the .ngo and .ong domains is part of the biggest change in the history of the Internet – the introduction of more than 1,300 new top-level domains (TLDs) over the next two years,” says Megan Soffer, Marketing Expert at Public Interest Registry.

“Public Interest Registry has more than a decade of experience operating a trusted, secure domain for the non-commercial community with .org. After extensive research and consultation with the global non-governmental organisation (NGO) community, it was a natural decision to take our mission of serving the public interest a step further with the .ngo and .ong domains. These new domains will help Australian NFPs gain credibility on a global stage like never before.”

At present most Australian NFPs use the .org.au domain. The .ngo / .ong domains will help NFPs to gain recognition internationally as genuine NGOs, providing a comprehensive domain solution comprising of both the .ngo and .ong name registrations, a listing in the Public Interest Registry’s global NGO directory, and access to a robust community portal. The searchable global directory includes a customisable online profile which enables an organisation to showcase its cause and communicate with stakeholders. Importantly, this profile can include links to social media and the ability to collect donations.

“The NGO Portal will be a directory for NGOs. When donors are looking to give online, they want reassurance that both the website and cause are legitimate – this will be the easiest way for NGOs to communicate and demonstrate trust and credibility, says Soffer.”

Public Interest Registry will manage a validation process to ensure that only genuine NGOs are granted .ngo / .ong addresses and are included in the global directory.

In anticipation of the launch, interested NFP organisations can submit expressions of interest via www.globalngo.org which will keep interested parties informed about the progress of the domain launch.

About Public Interest Registry
Public Interest Registry is a NFP organisation which operates the .ORG top-level domain – the world’s third largest generic top-level domain with more than 10.3 million domain names registered worldwide. As an advocate for collaboration, safety and security on the Internet, the Public Interest Registry’s mission is to empower the global non-commercial community to use the Internet more effectively, and to take a leadership position among Internet stakeholders on policy and other issues relating to the domain naming system. The Public Interest Registry was founded by the Internet Society (http://www.internetsociety.org) in 2002 and is based in Reston, Virginia, USA.