PIR, the company that runs the .org domain extension, has announced that it is to expand its portfolio of domain extensions. Up until now PIR ran .org which is one of the oldest and best established top level domains. More recently they added both .ngo and .ong, which were meant to serve the NGO sector though take-up hasn’t been exactly “amazing” with just over 4 thousand names registered at present.
Earlier today the company announced that they’d be adding several more domain extensions to their stable:
- .giving
- .foundation
- .charity
- .gives
Of the four domain extensions .giving is the only one that hasn’t launched so far. The domain extension was assigned to the company behind Just Giving which is an online fundraising platform.
The other three extensions are all “live” and are currently owned and run by Donuts, who own Afilias, which is PIR’s backend registry provider.
PIR’s press release about the expansion also includes a couple of other bits of news:
- .ong and .ngo will be run as separate domain extensions in the future. Since launch they’ve been a bundle, which was one of the reasons why their takeup has been low. It’s not the only reason, but it’s one of them
- the backend registry contract will be going back out to tender bid again soon
It also sounds like the relationship between PIR and Donuts will continue with the revamp of the former Donuts’ extensions. What that means in reality is anyone’s guess.
Here’s the full release:
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.
What do you think about the expansion? Let me know in the comments!
