Public Interest Registry (PIR), the nonprofit stewards of the .ORG domain in Reston, Virginia, opened the nomination period for its eighth annual .ORG Impact Awards. The .ORG Impact Awards are an annual recognition of outstanding mission-driven individuals and organizations from the global .ORG Community.
PIR’s .ORG top-level domain has powered mission-driven organizations around the globe for more than 40 years. From large corporations to small community groups to multinational NGOs, .ORGs work to positively impact the communities they serve. Over the past eight years, the .ORG Impact Awards have recognized more than 300 outstanding .ORGs from over 120 countries. Through the Awards, PIR has awarded $865,000 USD for transformative work taking place around the world, according to an announcement from PIR.
“The .ORG Impact Awards remind us that meaningful change often starts at the community level, driven by people who see a need and come together to take action. Our .ORG Community of changemakers inspires us every year,” Jon Nevett, CEO of Public Interest Registry said via a statement. “As we open this year’s nominations, we’re excited to uplift and celebrate the next wave of changemakers who are reimagining what’s possible and strengthening communities around the world.”
Applications will be accepted from April 15 to May 27, 2026.
Categories for the 2026 awards include:
- Health and Healing
- Quality Education for All
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Environmental Stewardship
- Hunger and Poverty
- Community Building
- Rising Star
Applications are free and open to any organization with a .ORG domain. The Rising Star category is open to any individual under the age of 30 affiliated with a .ORG domain. The award categories are designed to be inclusive of any and all .ORGs that are working to make a positive impact in the world.
Organizations may apply for multiple categories of awards if more than one category is a good fit. The top five entries in each category will be named as finalists on August 11, 2026.
All 35 finalists will be invited to attend the final awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. with complimentary travel and opportunities to meet with other .ORG Community leaders and hosted by a celebrity on October 6, 2026. Category winners and the 2026 .ORG of the Year will be announced at the award ceremony, honoring their work to make the world a better place. Additional event details will be released in the coming months.
Winners of each category will take home $10,000 in donation award funds, and the .ORG of the Year will receive a total of $50,000 USD. Finalists across all categories will receive a $2,500 USD donation.
Winning organizations have the flexibility to use the award funds however they see fit in order to advance their mission. Being recognized as a finalist or winner of the prestigious .ORG Impact Awards will help raise the profile of your organization, drive donations, funding, talent acquisition, partnership development, and audience reach.
To nominate an organization or individual for a .ORG Impact Award, visit www.orgimpactawards.org.
In 2025, nearly 3,000 applicants from over 120 countries submitted applications. The winner of the 2025 .ORG of the Year award was the Democratic Republic of Congo-based (DRC) nonprofit Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises (The Fund for Congolese Women), which works to empower women within the DRC by advancing initiatives to eliminate gender-based sexual violence, provide empowerment programs for women and girls, educate women about HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, and advocate for environmental justice.
