Winners eligible for prize donations up to $50,000 USD out of $180,000 USD total prize awards

All finalists will be invited to in-person Washington, D.C. awards ceremony

RESTON, Va., May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Interest Registry (PIR), the people behind .ORG, today opened the nomination period for its sixth annual .ORG Impact Awards, an annual celebration that recognizes outstanding mission-driven individuals and organizations from the global .ORG Community for their positive contributions to society.

Public Interest Registry's .ORG top-level domain has powered mission-driven organizations around the globe for over 30 years. From individuals to large corporations, small community groups to multinational NGOs, each .ORG works to positively impact the communities they serve. Over the past five years, the .ORG Impact Awards have recognized 190 outstanding .ORGs from over 70 countries. Through the Awards, Public Interest Registry has awarded $505,000 USD for transformative work taking place around the world.

All 35 finalists will be invited to celebrate in Washington, D.C. – with additional opportunities to meet with D.C policy experts and other nonprofit leaders from around the world – culminating in the final award ceremony with a surprise celebrity host on October 8, 2024. Winners 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.

"We started the .ORG Impact Awards to uplift and celebrate those within the .ORG Community that work tirelessly to create positive change. From Kenya, to the United Kingdom to the United States and beyond – the .ORGs we celebrate come from all over the world, but they are all dedicated to making a positive impact on their communities," said Jon Nevett, CEO of Public Interest Registry. "If you are, or know, a changemaker committed to mission-driven work, we encourage you to submit a nomination to be recognized for their impact."

Applications will be accepted from May 1 to June 19, 2024, and are open to any person or organization with a .ORG domain, free of charge. The entries will be evaluated by a judging panel of leaders in the Internet, nonprofit, and marketing sectors.

Categories for the 2024 awards include:

• Health and Healing
• Quality Education for All
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Environmental Stewardship
• Hunger and Poverty
• Community Building
• Rising Star

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 13, 2024, and will be eligible to be named the 2024 .ORG of the Year. Winners will be announced on October 8, 2024 at an in-person awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Each category winner will receive $10,000 USD in donation award funds, while the ultimate .ORG of the Year will be honored with a grand prize of $50,000 USD. Finalists across all categories will receive a $2,500 USD donation. These funds offer all recognized organizations the ability to drive their missions forward as they see fit. Receiving a prestigious .ORG Impact Award not only elevates an organization's profile but also fuels 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 2023, 1,000 applicants from over 70 countries submitted applications. The winner of the 2023 .ORG of the Year award was Hope for Justice, an international organization working to end modern slavery and human trafficking by preventing exploitation, rescuing victims, restoring lives, and reforming society. Hope for Justice deploys a comprehensive team, including investigators, outreach workers, trainers, legal experts, and various professionals, to combat human trafficking and modern slavery in heavily affected areas.

"Being named the .ORG of the Year is an incredible honor and testament to our collective dedication and unwavering commitment to combating modern slavery and transforming lives," said Tim Nelson, CEO of Hope for Justice. "The award has brought increased visibility to the critical work happening across the globe and we couldn't be more proud to be part of the .ORG Community."

Other 2023 winners include Kakenya's Dream, an organization investing in girls from rural communities in Africa through educational, health, and leadership initiatives, HERhealthEQ, an international nonprofit working to reduce the equity gap in access to healthcare for women around the world, and Stanley Anigbogu, a Gen Z changemaker who founded LightEd, an organization that focuses on using waste material to build renewable energy solution for homes and families across the African continent.

About Public Interest RegistryPublic Interest Registry (PIR) is a nonprofit that operates the .ORG top-level domain—one of the world's largest generic top-level domains with more than 10.8 million domain names registered worldwide. .ORG is open to everyone, providing a global platform for organizations, associations, clubs, businesses and individuals to bring their ideas to life. PIR has been a champion for a free and open Internet for two decades with a clear mission to be an exemplary domain name registry, provide a trusted digital identity and help educate those who dedicate themselves to improving our world. PIR was founded by the Internet Society (internetsociety.org) in 2002 and is based in Reston, Virginia, USA. Visit www.pir.org for more information.

Contact: Grace Peacore, grace.peacore@berlinrosen.com, (626) 800-8341