New Domain Exclusively for Genuine NGOs

On May 21, 2015, .ngo / .ong (ONG for, Spanish, French and other romance languages) was launched in Manila, Philippines. “It is a top level domain exclusive for civil society”, says Nick Thorne, international advisor of the Public Interest Registry. It is a ‘global community of NGOs’ on the internet, he added.

To be part of it, one must be a genuine NGO. Applicants will undergo a validation test through a set of questions about the background of the organization. An Advisory Committee composed of 7 NGO representatives will evaluate who are eligible to get the domain. For new and young start-ups, 3 organizations from the local area should tell that the applicant is genuine. In addition to the basic requirements, the organization must be working for the public good, not involved in any criminal act and is not for profit. Being part of an umbrella organization is an advantage.

To register, just go to OnGood.ngo. The package is offered at $50 per year. The domain name (yourcausehere.ngo) is on a first come first served basis.

Being part of the .ngo community is a plus, especially for those who doesn’t have a web page yet. Successful registrants are entitled to publish a basic organizational profile on the OnGood website. It is a good platform to share ideas, collaborate and strengthen partnerships. There can also be a ‘donate button’ that can attract donors who could access the directory. It is a campaign tool to create awareness of the various thrusts of NGOs, invite partners to support different causes, and engage the community in working for development.

The domain .ngo has the same technical team that handles .org (10M subscribers in 10 years). The difference is that .ngo is policed while .org is not.

More details on .ngo may be accessed from this video:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3gtnfongt3j6f5o/Ongood%20v6%20English.mov?dl=0