The domain names .ngo and .ong are generic top-level domains (gTLD) of the Domain Name System (DNS) used in the Internet, sponsored and managed by the Public Interest Registry. The backend is provided by Afilias.[3] The .ngo domain name is an acronym which stands for "non-governmental organization", reflecting the intended usage of the domain.
 | |
| Introduced | May 6, 2015 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Generic top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | Public Interest Registry |
| Sponsor | Public Interest Registry |
| Intended use | Non-profit organizations |
| Actual use | Non-profit organizations |
| Registered domains | 8,483 (combined) (15 March 2023)[1][2] |
| Registration restrictions | Proof of non-profit status required |
| Structure | Registrations at second level permitted |
| Documents | Registration policy |
| Dispute policies | UDRP |
| DNSSEC | yes |
| Registry website | www |
In June 2011, ICANN expanded the Internet's naming system to allow applications for new top-level domain names.[4] The Public Interest Registry declared publicly an interest in the .ngo domain in August 2011[5] and applied for it in May 2012.[6] The PIR simultaneously applied for the top-level domain .ong, which is a similarly recognisable initialism for "organisation non gouvernementale" in French, and equivalent terms in many other Romance languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian.[7][8]
Unlike the more prevalent .org domain, which is also managed by the Public Interest Registry, .ngo will require validation of the registrant's non-governmental status.[4] Non-governmental organizations told the Public Interest Registry they needed a closed domain[9] that validated the legitimacy of websites accepting online donations to avoid fraud.[9][10] The Public Interest Registry plans to use the funds from selling .ngo domains[11] to develop an “NGO Community Program” to reach out to NGOs in developing nations.[4] It also intends to create a directory service of NGOs to support their SEO and visibility, and develop a closed community for NGOs to learn from each other.[11] The new domains have been publicly available since May 6, 2015.
Originally, registrants did not purchase an .ngo or .ong domain name separately, and a single registration was valid for two domain names which end in either .ngo or .ong but were otherwise identical.[12] This policy was relaxed in June 2022, and .ngo and .ong domain names can now be purchased independently of each other.[13]