Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across the world have been given their own domain to cater for their specific needs such as the need to fundraise, gain visibility and make partnerships that will assist their operations.
The domain, .ngo, can be used by French and Italian speaking countries and is provided by AMGlobal Consulting and the Public Interest Registry, which is in itself an NGO.
It is expected help in reducing online risks suffered by the NGO community, contribute to the overall development of NGOs and help organisations worldwide grow and benefit from technology.
Speaking in Nairobi, AMGlobal principal Andrew Mack said the NGO world was untapped when it came to having its own domain.
“NGOs around the world vary in terms of size, scope and mission, but nearly every NGO shares three common challenges: the need to raise funds, the need be visible, and the need to coordinate and partner with other NGOs,” said Mack.
“With .ngo they will be able to take their work to another level.”
Most organisations in this community use the .org, and according to Mack most have taken to the internet to scale their operations, especially in developing countries.
While officially launching the domain in Kenya, secretary of administration in the Ministry of ICT Brown Watuya, speaking on behalf of principal secretary Joseph Tiampati, hailed the move.
“The .ngo domain is a smart, inexpensive way for small NGOs to get the support they need, amplify their message and support their passion to help the communities they live in,” said Watuya.
