Public Interest Registry Announces 2025 .ORG Impact Awards Finalists, Artist & Actor Common to Host

35 innovative, mission-driven organizations and changemakers selected from nearly 3,000 applicants across more than 120 countries

RESTON, Va., Aug. 12, 2025 /CNW/ -- Public Interest Registry (PIR), the people behind the .ORG domain, named the finalists for the 7th annual .ORG Impact Awards on Tuesday and announced that philanthropist and activist Common will host this year's awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The .ORG Impact Awards recognize outstanding mission-driven individuals and organizations from around the world for their positive contributions to society.

All finalists, which range from a women-led nonprofit transforming lives in East Africa, to an organization recycling hair into tools to help the environment, to a .ORG using AI to teach sign language across Latin America, will receive donations of $2,500 USD. All 35 finalists will also be invited to Washington, D.C. for a celebration that includes opportunities to meet with other nonprofit leaders and culminates with the final award ceremony on October 7.

"The .ORG Impact Awards continues to be one of the most meaningful initiatives we look forward to all year, and I'm honored to welcome the extraordinary 2025 finalists to our global .ORG Community. These finalists represent the very best of our community — their dedication and impact embody the very spirit of the .ORG domain," said Jon Nevett, President and CEO of Public Interest Registry. "We're thrilled to have Common join us and help uplift the forward-thinking changemakers honored at this year's awards. A long-time advocate for criminal justice and youth empowerment, Common is a changemaker himself and brings a powerful voice to this celebration of purpose-driven work."

Common is an award-winning rapper and actor: the first rapper to win a Grammy, Oscar and Emmy and star of the Apple TV+ show Silo. He is also the founder of the nonprofit Free to Dream, which works across four pillars — education, justice, wellness, and jobs — to create the conditions necessary for these dreams to come true. From Art in Motion charter school in Chicago to enrichment programs that take place in schools, communities, and prisons, Free To Dream is dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline at both ends helping people of all ages reclaim their life's true trajectory. Free To Dream reflects 20 years of Common's leadership as a changemaker, using his entertainment platform to advance critical social causes.

"I'm passionate about making sure youth in the U.S. are able to see positive role models and pathways to achieve their dreams, especially those involved in the justice system, so it's inspiring to see people from all over the world creating positive change for the next generation in their communities," said Common. "I'm excited to celebrate the hard work of these organizations and individuals creating powerful change at this year's .ORG Impact Awards."

This year's finalists represent the top five entries across seven award categories:

• Community Building
• Quality Education for All
• Environmental Stewardship
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Health and Healing
• Hunger and Poverty
• Rising Stars (leaders under 30 making a difference in their communities)

Winners in these award categories and the prestigious .ORG of the Year, will be announced as part of the in-person .ORG Impact Awards celebration on October 7. The winner of the .ORG of the Year award will receive a donation of $50,000 USD while the other category winners will each receive $10,000 USD. Beyond the donation, receiving a .ORG Impact Award will help raise the profile of winning organizations, ultimately driving donations, funding, talent acquisition, partnership development, and increasing audience reach.

Please visit www.orgimpactawards.org for more information.

2025 .ORG Impact Award Finalists

Community Building

Empower Mali
empowermali.org
Empower Mali improves lives in rural Malian communities through clean water, education, agriculture, and solar energy, with a focus on community co-investment and long-term sustainability.

Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises (The Fund for Congolese Women)
www.ffcrdc.org
Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises funds and strengthens grassroots women's organizations in the DRC to advance peace, justice, and gender equality from the ground up.

Long Way Home
lwhome.org
Long Way Home engages people in democracy and creates economic and environmental justice through green building, employment, and education.

Techo
techo.org
TECHO is a youth-led organization working in Latin America's informal settlements, mobilizing volunteers and communities to overcome poverty through housing, civic engagement, and community-building programs that promote dignity and social justice.

Well Aware
wellawareworld.org
Well Aware is a women-led nonprofit transforming lives in East Africa through sustainable, community-driven clean water systems that advance health, education, and gender equity.

Quality Education for All

Central Leadership Academy
centralleadershipacademy.org
Central Leadership Academy delivers holistic education rooted in community, leadership, and innovation, transforming learning access for underserved youth and children in Liberia and beyond.

INCLUDEU
incluedu.org
IncluEdu uses AI to teach sign language and equip educators with inclusive tools, offering real-time feedback and fostering deaf inclusion in schools, workplaces, and communities across Latin America.

Rocket Learning Foundation
rocketlearning.org
Rocket Learning uses tech to connect parents, teachers, and governments in India, improving foundational learning and early childhood education at scale.

NABU
nabu.org
NABU aims to solve the global literacy crisis. By providing culturally relevant, bilingual storybooks in mother tongue languages, NABU ensures that every child can read and rise to their full potential.

Yellow Boat of Hope Indonesia
yellowboat-id.org
Yellow Boat of Hope Indonesia builds boats, clean water systems, scholarships, and volunteer-led learning to help children in remote coastal communities access education and opportunity.

Environmental Stewardship

Matter of Trust
matteroftrust.org
Matter of Trust connects surplus with need. Their flagship program recycles hair into tools that regenerate soil and clean water, empowering communities in 52+ countries through circular, nature-based solutions for climate resilience and restoration.

Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS)
naturewildlife.org
NEWS restores and protects mangrove ecosystems by co-creating with communities, nurturing women climate leaders, and promoting nature-based livelihoods, advancing biodiversity and climate resilience across India.

Ocean Alliance, Inc.
whale.org
Ocean Alliance protects whales and their ocean environment through global research, education, and innovative drone tech based in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Wandusoa Organic Cameroon Development Association
wandusoa.org
Wandusoa trains marginalized youths and smallholder farmers in regenerative agriculture and business skills, cultivating socially and ecologically responsible entrepreneurs in rural Cameroon.

The Welman Project
thewelmanproject.org
The Welman Project diverts surplus materials from landfills and redistributes them to schools and nonprofits, supporting education, sustainability, and creativity.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Found in Translation
found-in-translation.org
Found in Translation trains low-income bilingual women as medical interpreters, advancing health equity and economic mobility in underserved communities.

Humanos 3D
humanos3d.org
Humanos 3D provides personalized assistive devices for people with upper limb disabilities using 3D printing and emerging technologies, fostering inclusion, innovation, and education through community driven impact.

Imkaan Welfare Organization
imkaan.org
Imkaan Welfare Organization empowers marginalized, undocumented, and stateless communities—especially women and children—through education, healthcare, vocational and digital learning, economic opportunities, and legal aid, fostering dignity and inclusion.

Purnata
purnata.org
Purnata rescues and rehabilitates trafficking survivors in India, providing safe spaces, education, jobs, and long-term care to break the cycle of exploitation.

Red Dot Global Foundation
reddotfoundation.org
Red Dot Foundation crowdsources data on sexual violence through its Safecity platform, using local insights to promote safety, justice, and survivor-led change.

Health and Healing

Access to Specialist Knowledge
accesstospecialistknowledge.org
Access to Specialist Knowledge connects healthcare workers in underserved regions of the globe to U.S. board-certified medical specialists, offering pro bono support that empowers local providers and promotes equitable access to healthcare.

The BIG Fix Uganda
thebigfixuganda.org
The BIG FIX Uganda provides lifesaving vet care, animal welfare education, free rabies vaccines, and Africa's first animal-assisted trauma therapy program—pairing war survivors with rescued dogs to heal PTSD, promote compassion, and transform communities in Northern Uganda.

Global Response Medicine
global-response.org
Global Response Medicine provides emergency medical care and professional training to populations affected by conflict and disaster, deploying veteran-led teams to high-risk areas to save lives.

Nunchi Health
nunchihealth.org
Nunchi Health reimagines youth mental health by centering cultural identity, peer leadership, and community healing. They provide free, accessible, and affirming support to immigrant and minority youth often excluded from traditional systems.

Tiba Foundation
tibafoundation.org
Tiba Foundation partners with Kenyan health organizations to strengthen rural clinics, train providers, and improve women's economic empowerment and access to life-saving healthcare.

Hunger and Poverty

Andando
andando.org
Andando helps rural Senegalese communities break the cycle of poverty by focusing on long-term partnerships and the growth of the whole village through integrated support in water, health, education, agroforestry, and financial independence.

Kula Project
kulaproject.org
Kula partners with Rwandan coffee farmers to build thriving farms and sustainable incomes through agricultural training and entrepreneurial development.

Manna Cafe Ministries
mannacafeministries.org
Manna Café Ministries serves the hungry and hurting in Tennessee by providing essentials, support services, and opportunities rooted in dignity, wellness, and community.

MicroLoan Foundation USA
microloanfoundationusa.org
MicroLoan Foundation USA alleviates poverty and promotes gender equality for women in sub-Saharan Africa by providing microfinance, business training, and savings support to help them build resilient livelihoods and transform their families' futures.

The Rahul Kotak Foundation
therahulkotakfoundation.org
The Rahul Kotak Foundation transforms children's lives in Kenya by tackling school hunger, advancing menstrual health and expanding access to education in underserved communities.

Rising Stars

Aworanti Salvation Grace, Voices Against Rape and Sexual Harrassment Foundation
varshfoundation.org
VARSH Foundation empowers women and girls across Africa through feminist-led leadership, advocacy, and legal aid to end sexual and gender-based violence and promote peace.

Joshua Williams, Joshua's Heart Foundation
joshuasheart.org
Joshua's Heart Foundation trains the next generation of hungry leaders by equipping service-oriented students with the strategic vision, operational skill-set, and trusted network they need to combat food insecurity and poverty in their own communities.

Jovia Kisaakye, Ecobed Biotech Brand
ecobedbiotech.org
Ecobed Biotech transforms food waste into mosquito-repellent lotion, clean fuel, and organic farm inputs, advancing climate resilience, health, and livelihoods across East Africa.

Nicholas Lowinger, Gotta Have Sole
gottahavesole.org
Gotta Have Sole's mission is to provide under-resourced youth with brand new shoes to help them feel confident, comfortable, and special. They are opening opportunities for kids to go to school, play sports, and be kids.

Zofia Kierner, Girls Future Ready Foundation 
girlsfutureready.org
Girls Future Ready builds confidence and professional skills in young women across Central and Eastern Europe through global mentorship and education programs.

.ORG of The Year

The 2025 .ORG Impact Award, .ORG of the Year, recognizes an outstanding nonprofit or nongovernmental organization nominated in one of the seven categories for their incredible achievement in the past year as evidenced by results and contributions to their sector, constituents, community or society at large. The winner will be announced on October 7.

About Public Interest Registry
Public 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 11 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.

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SOURCE Public Interest Registry