Young Association Professionals (YAP) yapstar.org

IMPORTANT:

You may have heard that ICANN, the International body that regulates domain extensions, has approved a plan that would drastically increase the number of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) available on the Internet.

The Public Interest Registry (PIR) is the non-profit organization managing ".ORG" – the domain that has served the non-profit community for more than 25 years. PIR is proposing that another domain extension, ".NGO", be created and made exclusively available to nonprofit organizations.  Overseeing this extension is important to ensure protection from non-reputable companies portraying themselves as nonprofits.

Sign this online letter of support to ensure that .NGO is maintained in the best interest of nonprofits worldwide. The PIR website explains more about what the .NGO extension is all about:

The NGO term holds great weight among their communities, setting these organizations apart from commercial or governmental entities. .NGO is the definitive domain address where NGOs can differentiate themselves. The NGO community plays host to many different types of organizations operating in a variety of areas. Environmental, educational, religious, and emergency relief are just a few areas in which NGOs operate. PIR believes that each of these communities could benefit from a specific , exclusive identification on the Internet provided by .NGO. .NGO is the exclusive domain address for self-identified NGOs worldwide. .NGO’s exclusivity lends itself to reaching a broader audience who are seeking to make a positive impact on the world in any way they can.

They can't get there alone though - PIR needs your help in order to be able to provide the .NGO extension exclusively. It's in the interest of all nonprofits to have make sure this extension stays in the hands of this community and is run by someone who understands its special needs.

Want to learn more about .NGO? 

- Here is more information from Beth Kanter on this issue.

- Go to http://bit.ly/NTENngo to sign up for the December 6th webinar on the topic.

Please sign the quick and easy online letter of support and pass it on to other nonprofits in your community. Together we can show ICANN  that the nonprofit community is a unified force.  Signing the letter of support does not involve any financial commitment (or any commitment of any kind) - it is simply a show of support. Please sign today.