Every domain is a decision.
When an organization chooses .org, they're making a statement before anyone reads a single word. It's trust, built into the address. Credibility, baked into the URL. The kind of signal that opens doors with donors, governments, and partners before a pitch is ever made.
That's exactly why the .ORG Impact Awards exists. Every year, it finds the organizations proving what a .org domain can do, and puts them in front of the people who need to see them.
Two of last year's finalists and winners registered through Spaceship.
What a .org can do
In Uganda, Jovia Kisaakye watched her family lose money to spoiled milk and her community lose lives to malaria. She didn't write a report about it. She built a solution.
Ecobed Biotech Brand converts organic waste into products farmers and households actually need: mosquito-repellent lotion made from spoiled milk, organic fertilizer, and nutrient-rich animal feed. Over 120,000 farmers now use Ecobed's inputs. More than 300 tons of food waste recycled annually. 420 jobs created.
Ecobed runs on a .org, registered through Spaceship. In 2025, they won the Rising Star category at the .ORG Impact Awards and received a $10,000 donation.
The domain didn't build Ecobed. But it said something about them before anyone else could.
It's not just one story
Voices Against Rape and Sexual Harassment Foundation is a feminist-led nonprofit fighting gender-based violence across Nigeria. Founded in 2019, VARSH built 11 university clubs, mobilized 250+ volunteers, and developed programs spanning consent education, legal aid, and survivor support.
Also on a .org. Also through Spaceship. Also a 2025 finalist.
Two organizations. Completely different missions. The same instinct about what a domain communicates to the world. The .ORG Impact Awards recognizes missions like these every year.
It's built around a simple idea: the right domain, in the right hands, changes things. And the organizations proving that deserve to be seen.
If you already know you want to nominate one,submissions are open until May 27.
Why .org still carries weight
When Ecobed needed to be taken seriously by regulators, farmers, and international partners, their .org was already doing part of that work. When VARSH needed to show up credibly on campuses and in communities across Nigeria, same thing. The domain arrived before they did.
For mission-driven organizations, that's not a detail. It's a head start.
A .org domain from Spaceship starts at the right place. The rest is what you build on it.
The .ORG Impact Awards
Run by Public Interest Registry, the nonprofit behind .org, the awards have distributed over $865,000 to organizations across 120+ countries since 2019. More than 300 organizations recognized. Two rounds of judging, both merit-based. No popularity contest.
The prizes are real. $10,000 per category winner. $50,000 total for .org of the Year. Around $180,000 distributed this cycle alone. But the money isn't always the reason organizations apply.
Winners get global PR, video features, and social amplification across .org's channels. They get a credibility signal that keeps opening funding doors long after the ceremony. Finalists receive $2,500 and the same visibility lift. For organizations that are doing the work but haven't yet been discovered, that matters more than the check.
The 2026 program covers seven categories: Health and Healing, Quality Education for All, Environmental Stewardship, Hunger and Poverty, Community Building, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Rising Star for individuals under 30. The overall .org of the Year is selected by PIR from among category winners.
Submissions close May 27, 2026. Finalists announced August 11. Winners celebrated in person in Washington, D.C. on October 6.
Nominate a .org
You don't need to run the organization to enter. If you know a .org doing work that deserves recognition, submit it. That's how Ecobed got found. That's how VARSH got amplified.
And if your own .org is out there doing something real, this is the moment to put it forward.
The domain was the right choice. Now make sure the right people know it.
Nominate a .org before May 27.
Frequently asked questions
An annual program that finds and funds organizations using .org domains to create real change in the world. Think of it as a global spotlight for missions that deserve to be seen.
Anyone with an active .org domain can apply, and you don't have to run the organization yourself. If you know a .org doing great work, you can nominate them too.
Category winners receive $10,000, and the overall .ORG of the Year takes home $50,000. Finalists receive $2,500 each, plus visibility across .ORG's global channels and PR support.
A .org signals trust and purpose before anyone reads a word on your site. It's the domain donors, partners, and communities associate with organizations that are in it for the right reasons.
Nominations close on May 27, 2026. Finalists are announced August 11, and winners are celebrated in person in Washington, D.C. on October 6.
Yes. Finalists receive $2,500 and get featured across .ORG's platforms, which often leads to new funding, partnerships, and credibility that outlasts the awards themselves.
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