Charities that sign up for the new generic top-level domain, .ngo, will be able to collect donations via their directory page.
Public Interest Registry (PIR), which already runs the .org domain name, was awarded the .ngo (and .ong – the equivalent acronym in several Latin-rooted European languages) last year when Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) released more than 1,000 new domain names.
PIR is developing a Facebook-style hub for organisations which sign-up to the .ngo to help them connect with each other.
Organisations will be able to personalise their pages with information and content and use it to receive donations. PIR will not be handling donations but connecting the charity and the individuals. Further details about how the donate feature will work is not available.
PIR will validate organisations' not-for-profit status
The directory will be searchable by keywords, missions and locations. Only organisations that meet PIR eligibility criteria, will be able to use the .ngo domain.
Ulrich Retzlaff, PIR’s director of channel management, said: “The .ngo domain will be an exclusive space – organisations will only get that domain name if they really are a not-for-profit.”
PIR has collated a database of organisations that it thinks are eligible, based on regulations around the world, but will also let organisations submit supporting documents with their applications if they are not in PIR’s database.
Retzlaff said there will be a way for members of the .ngo community to flag others as not deserving of their status so that “validation can be revoked”.
For both .ngo and .ong PIR is planning to charge around $45 (£27) per year, although domain name registrars such as GoDaddy will charge more.
According to Ulrich there are 12 million organisations worldwide, 600,000 in the UK and said: “We think that the portal will really start to work when we have 500,000 users. We will need at least a year to full set this up.”
Charities can register their interest in the new domain name now and the new domain is expected to go live in October or November this year for organisations that are trade marked. It will be rolled out to others in January 2015.
PIR’s eligibility characteristics
- Focused on acting in the public interest.
- Non-profit making/non-profit-focused entities.
- Limited government influence.
- Independent actors. Members of the .ngo community should not be political parties nor should be a part of any government.
- Active Organisations.
- Structured. Members of the .ngo community, whether large or small, operate in a structured manner.
- Lawful. Members of the .ngo|.ong community act with integrity within the bounds of law.
