In this TED talk, Dan Pallotta (@danpallotta) claims that there is a double standard that currently persists for nonprofits: they are often rewarded for how little they spend — not for what they actually get done. Pallotta asks the public to start rewarding not-for-profit groups for the ambitious goals that they set out to attain, and the results that they produce, as opposed to reprimanding them for thinking outside of traditional efforts for funding and support. …Well, Public Interest Registry couldn’t agree more. We want to see nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) — big and small — become empowered by sharing their cause with the world, raising money, and developing their skills and infrastructure, despite the cost(s) to make this happen.
For nearly a year now, Public Interest Registry has been slowly rolling out the idea of .NGO — a new domain extension that will provide NGOs with greater and immediate recognition online as members of a trusted community, as well as the opportunity to advance their mission. This means that by having the .NGO extension as part of your domain name, you would have already been validated as an organization that is non-governmental, non-for-profit, and non-criminal.
The .NGO domain extension supports Pallotta’s point in that it encourages NGOs to try new methods of engagement with the general public, donors, and potential strategic partners. We anticipate that once .NGO truly grows into fruition it will function as an exemplary tool and transform the traditional model for NGOs across the globe [for the better].
Part of that model will include Your.NGO — the social space for NGOs to connect with one another online and promote their cause. There are several objectives here:
to create a credible online database of validated NGOs
to highlight NGOs’ social causes
to bridge gaps and strengthen alliances between groups that focus on similar efforts
to provide donors with direct search capability so that they can support the specific cause(s) of their choosing
Ultimately, the Your.NGO profile page will supplement each NGO’s home website, driving as much traffic as possible from the social medium to the organization’s home entity. Online integration will help maximize audience reach and productivity.
This truly is a very exciting time for the domain industry because the Internet is changing, becoming more accessible and dynamic every day. This means that there is a lot of opportunity and potential for NGOs to have their voices heard on a magnified scale. But as Pallotta points out in his talk, in order to get some actual traction towards achieving their mission, these groups need to take chances despite fear of failure. In turn, we need to applaud and reward NGOs’ accountability for their productivity and results.