.org Domain Names

A .org domain name helps you become a well-established brand of trust and integrity. One of the original top-level domains (TLDs), it became the choice for organizations dedicated to serving the public interest. Today, .org domains are considered some of the most trusted on the internet and tailor-made for non-commercial entities like:

• Non-profits
• Foundations
• Cultural institutions
• Religious organizations

If you’re operating one of these, people expect to find you in the .org community. However, commercial organizations can also benefit with a .org domain linked to the business’ charitable arm while other domain names protect the brand.

If you’re looking to buy .org, you likely have a unique set of goals compared with other organizations online. It’s not about profits and losses or buying and selling. The .org domain is about the measure of good you bring into the lives of each individual you serve. It can help you:

• Build trust. .org conveys credibility. It’s the domain people most commonly associate with charities and other non-profit institutions.
• Educate people. .org websites are known for containing valuable, unbiased information that helps people understand important issues.
• Improve fundraising. Having a site with the .org extension is considered best for online fundraising.
• Target audiences. The vast majority of internet users associate .org domains with non-profit organizations and humanitarian causes.

Anyone operating a non-profit will tell you that every little bit helps when it comes to finding support. And the .org domain extension can be an extra boost. Like a searchlight, it reaches the farthest corners of the internet and helps you find your people to rally them around a cause.

The .org domain traces its roots back to 1985, when it and six other domains (.com, .us, .edu, .gov, .mil and .net) were introduced to replace the strings of numbers used to designate web addresses. The very first organization to register .org (in July 1985) was a federally funded research institution operating in the eastern United States.

Since that first registration, total .org domain names have grown from less than a million in the 1990s to more than 10 million just a decade later. Today, there’s no formal requirement that only non-profits can buy .org, but it’s generally understood to be for charitable work.

Where would the world be today if it weren’t for organizations (like yours) working tirelessly to make the world a better place? Good thing there’s people like you. When you’re looking to register .org, please keep in mind a few things:

1. You’re awesome. Thank goodness for people dedicated to a cause like yours. So, thank you, in advance, for all the amazing things you’re about to do with your .org domain name.
2. Don’t hesitate. Apparently doing good is a popular activity. There’s a chance someone else out there has an idea similar to yours and they’re getting ready to buy .org for themselves. Get there first.
3. Welcome to the community. You’re about to become part of a global force of over 10 million people, all working hard to do great things and make this world a better place. Congratulations on your membership.