By Paul Diaz, Vice President Policy, Public Interest Registry
On 10 October 2019, Public Interest Registry hosted its inaugural .ORG Community Forum. Held at the Madison Hotel in Washington, DC, this full-day event brought together subject matter experts and members of the .ORG community–both onsite and online–to collaboratively explore common areas of interest. The topics included:
- The benefits and drawbacks of a dedicated website versus social media presence.
Julia Campbell, a noted digital marketing expert, highlighted examples and resources for social purpose organizations to use social media and storytelling to build communities, showcase impact, and advance their causes.
- Ways to leverage video for more effective digital marketing.
Brian Fanzo, a technology evangelist who got his start in cybersecurity, shared a variety of influencer strategies that mission-based organizations can use to empower digital empathy and further their causes.
- Online brand protection for non-profits.
Statton Hammock, an executive at leading domain name management and brand enforcement firm MarkMonitor, moderated a panel made up of representatives from the American Red Cross, AARP, and the Wikimedia Foundation who highlighted experiences and best practices for non-profit online brand protection.
- Defending against disinformation campaigns.
The day concluded with a panel led by Brian Wanko of InterAction, the largest alliance of international NGOs and partners in the United States with more than 180 members operating in over 100 countries worldwide. These panelists drew on their experiences to highlight strategies for confronting the growing trend of online attacks and campaigns that spread false information against mission-based organizations.
Public Interest Registry’s mission is to empower, through the Internet, those who are dedicated to improving our world. As an exemplary registry operator and industry thought leader, our mandate is to share our expertise and support conferences and regional gatherings focused on providing the tools and education that mission-based and non-commercial users around the world need to improve their use of the Internet. The .ORG Community Forum is just one of many more upcoming events we are planning, and we encourage you to check back here regularly for the latest on future educational and developmental opportunities.