Public Interest Registry Celebrates 40 Years of .ORG!
By Jon Nevett, President and CEO, Public Interest Registry
Today, we’re proud to mark an extraordinary milestone: the 40th anniversary of the .ORG domain. When the first .ORG was registered on July 10th, 1985 by Mitre Corporation, a nonprofit consulting company, little did anyone know that .ORG would grow into a powerful engine for change and a global community of mission-driven champions working to make the world a better place. At Public Interest Registry, we’re honored to serve as stewards of this incredible legacy.
Over the past four decades, .ORG has become the digital home for nonprofits, foundations, educational institutions, open-source projects, social movements, families, and countless individuals with a passion for purpose. When you see a .ORG, you know it represents an organization or individual that stands for something. That trust is not incidental but a reflection of our foundation.
Today, over 11 million .ORG domains are registered worldwide, a number that speaks to the collective commitment and strength of our community. These three letters have given millions of organizations, from small grassroots efforts to international NGOS, the tools to advocate and inspire.
Public Interest Registry’s efforts to change the world don’t end with the .ORG domain; we find ways to help our community thrive through storytelling, education, and celebration. We uplift stories of impact through our ORG in Action series, featuring mission-driven organizations like Reading Partners, which helps children unlock their potential through reading, and Custom Collaborative, which empowers women from under-resourced communities to thrive in the sustainable fashion industry. Offering free educational resources through the .ORG Learning Center to help organizations strengthen their marketing, grow their online audience, and use digital tools to educate and inspire their communities. And each year, our .ORG Impact Awards shine a spotlight on extraordinary changemakers—like Yellow Boat of Hope, the 2024 .ORG of the Year, which builds boats so children in remote areas can get to school safely. These efforts are part of our commitment to ensuring that the people behind .ORG have what they need to keep making a difference.
Just as important as support is security of the .ORG domain. In today’s digital world, trust must be earned and protected. At PIR, we’re proud to be a recognized leader in anti-abuse efforts, working tirelessly to ensure that the .ORG domain remains a safe, secure, and exemplary corner of the Internet. Whether it’s updating the anti-abuse principles that guide our work or supporting the NetBeacon Institute to fight DNS Abuse across the whole Internet community, at PIR, doing the right thing is always at the top of mind. That’s also why we’ve taken steps to combat online child abuse, such as our first-of-its-kind partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation. Our mission-driven purpose extends to our backend operations, where we proactively combat malicious activity to make both the .ORG domain space and the Internet a safer place for all.
So today, we celebrate more than 40 years of the three letters that changed the world. We celebrate the people—the ones who advocate for justice, protect the environment, educate the next generation, and respond in times of crisis. You are the heart of .ORG. You are the reason it has endured for 40 years, and why it will continue to thrive for decades to come.
Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Here’s to the next 40 years of impact, innovation, and community.