Registry (.org) posts tax return showing 2023 results — Public Interest

The registry paid regarding $1.50 per name managed by back-end registry Identity Digital.

Public Interest Registry (PIR), the non-profit that manages the .org top level domain name, has posted its annual Form 990 (pdf) tax return.

The firm generated $103.7 million in program revenue in 2023, up from $102.1 million in the prior year. Total revenue increased to $105.1 million from $102.4 million thanks to higher investment returns.

PIR paid Identity Digital, which manages the .org backend, $15.3 million for the year. It noted $14.9 million in registry expenses. With 10-11 million domains under management in 2023, that comes out to roughly $1.50 per name.

In the prior year, PIR paid Identity Digital $13.1 million and noted $17.4 million in registry expenses.

The registry services expenses are down considerably since PIR put the contract out for a rebid in 2016. The price creates a benchmark for a high-volume registry.

Another notable year-over-year change is that PIR paid GoDaddy $1.2 million in 2022 for promotional services but nothing in 2023.

PIR’s primary beneficiary is Internet Society. It contributed $64.8 million to its coffers in 2023, compared to $69.3 million in the prior year.