.Org registry applies for eight top level domain names

Public Interest Registry, the nonprofit behind .org, has applied for eight new top-level domains in ICANN's 2026 application round. The applications point to a growing portfolio of charity-oriented TLDs and new registration options for domain holders.

PIR submitted applications for eight primary strings — aid, cause, donate, hope, impact, mission, nonprofit and organization — and backup strings for six of them. Four of the primary applications are uncontested, meaning no other applicant sought the same string.

The move extends a pattern. PIR already operates .org and internationalized versions of .org, and it later added .foundation, .charity, .gives and .giving. The new applications would put it in nearly every major English-language charity category.

For domain holders, new TLDs are both opportunity and risk. Registrants may find shorter, more meaningful names in these spaces during launch periods. At the same time, trademark owners will need to watch sunrise and claims periods to protect their marks.

The uncontested applications are the ones most likely to proceed smoothly. Contested strings can go to auction or resolution, which adds time and cost. Backup strings suggest PIR is prepared to adjust if its first choices fail.

What remains unknown is demand. Many new gTLDs from the 2012 round saw low registration numbers. Charity-related strings have a clearer purpose than some, but adoption will depend on pricing, launch rules and whether nonprofits choose to move from .org.