Domain Names for Non-Profits & Community Organisations
If you run a charity, community group, CIC, association, club, or local project, your domain name needs to do one big thing: make people trust you quickly.
Because donations, volunteers, and community support all rely on confidence. If your website address looks confusing or sketchy, people hesitate. And hesitation kills sign-ups.
I’ve been doing domains and hosting since the early 2000s, and the strongest non-profit sites all have the same thing in common: their domain is simple, clear, and credible.
Why your domain matters for non-profits
Non-profits live on reputation.
People will check you out before they donate, volunteer, or share your link. Your domain is part of that first impression.
southwark.community looks like a real local group.
helping-people-4u247.biz looks like a scam (even if you’re genuine).
Also: community organisations get shared a lot via WhatsApp, Facebook groups, and word of mouth. If your domain is hard to say or type, you lose momentum.
The best domain extensions for non-profits & community
.org / .org.uk
Perfect for: Charities, associations, community organisations, non-profits
This is still the most widely recognised “non-profit” signal.
Examples: yourcause.org, yourcause.org.uk
.charity
Perfect for: Registered charities, fundraising organisations
Very clear and trust-building when it matches what you are.
Examples: local.charity, support.charity
.foundation
Perfect for: Foundations, grant-making organisations, long-term initiatives
Feels established and credible.
Examples: community.foundation, health.foundation
.community
Perfect for: Local groups, community projects, neighbourhood initiatives
Brilliant for local trust and clarity.
Examples: hackney.community, southwark.community
.ngo
Perfect for: NGOs with an international or policy focus
Works well if your audience understands the term “NGO”.
Examples: global.ngo, relief.ngo
.volunteer
Perfect for: Volunteer-led organisations, volunteering programmes
Great if volunteering is a major part of your mission.
Examples: london.volunteer, youth.volunteer
.fund
Perfect for: Funds, grant programmes, community funds
Short and direct.
Examples: community.fund, relief.fund
.care
Perfect for: Care-related charities, support services, wellbeing organisations
Works nicely for support and care services.
Examples: elderly.care, support.care
.social
Perfect for: Community projects, social initiatives, campaigns
Good for modern community brands and campaigns.
Examples: local.social, change.social
.club / .association
Perfect for: Clubs, societies, associations
If you’re a membership-style group, these can fit well.
Examples: history.club, residents.association
“Safe” extensions that still work brilliantly
.co.uk / .uk
If you’re UK-based and your audience is mainly UK-based, these are still the most familiar.
My usual advice: if you choose a modern extension (like .community or .charity), consider grabbing the .co.uk as well if it’s available and redirect it.
.london
Perfect for London-based community organisations.
Examples: support.london, community.london
Pick the right extension for the job (non-profit edition)
Registered charity or fundraising / .org.uk / .org / .charity
Local community group .community / .london
Volunteer-led org .volunteer
Foundation / grant-maker .foundation / .fund
International NGO .ngo
The goal is simple: the extension should match what you are, so people feel confident.
Common mistakes non-profits make
Mistake 1: Being vague
If your domain doesn’t say who you are, people don’t trust it.
projectphoenix.co.uk could be anything.
phoenix.community tells people it’s community-focused.
Mistake 2: Making it too long
If your domain looks like a sentence, it’s too long.
helpinglocalpeopleinlondonandbeyond.org.uk is a headache.
london.community is clean.
Mistake 3: Hyphens and numbers
Hyphens are awkward on the phone and easy to mistype.
If you have to say “dash” even once, you’re making life harder for volunteers and donors.
Mistake 4: Using words you can’t back up
Be careful with terms like “official”, “national”, “government”, “authority”, “trust”, or “foundation” if they don’t reflect your real status.
You don’t want to accidentally look misleading.
Mistake 5: Not protecting your name
If you’re building a community brand, it’s worth registering a couple of sensible variations (like .org.uk and .co.uk) and redirecting them.
It’s not about paranoia — it’s about not losing people to typos.
Quick exercise: choose your non-profit domain in 5 steps
Step 1: Write down what you are: charity, community group, CIC, association, club.
Step 2: Write down your focus: food bank, youth support, mental health, residents group, sports access.
Step 3: Write down your location (if local): London, borough, neighbourhood.
Step 4: Pick an extension that matches:
- Charity .org.uk / .charity
- Community group .community
- Volunteer programme .volunteer
- Foundation/fund .foundation / .fund
Step 5: Keep the name short and say it out loud.
Real examples that work (without naming clients)
Instead of: helpinghomelesspeopleinlondonandkent.org.uk
Try: london.care or homeless.charity
Instead of: southwarkresidentsassociationofficialwebsite.co.uk
Try: southwark.community or residents.association
Instead of: volunteeringopportunitiesforbusyprofessionalslondon.org.uk
Try: london.volunteer
Setting up your non-profit domain (so it actually works)
Step 1: Point the domain to your website or donation platform. Whether you’re using WordPress, (Avoid Squarespace & Wix), JustGiving, Enthuse, or something else, we’ll help you connect it properly.
Step 2: Set up professional email.hello@yourcause.org.uk looks far more trustworthy than yourcause@gmail.com.
Step 3: Make the website “trust-ready”. At minimum: clear contact details, your mission, who runs it, how donations are used, and basic policies.
Step 4: Connect your domain everywhere people find you. Google Business Profile (if relevant), Facebook pages, Instagram bio, WhatsApp groups, printed flyers, make sure the link is correct.
Step 5: Redirect any old domains properly, so you don’t lose people from old leaflets, old QR codes, or old bookmarks.
Questions non-profits ask
Do we need .org.uk?
Not always, but it’s a strong trust signal in the UK.
If you can get yourname.org.uk, it’s usually worth having — even if your main domain is something like yourname.community.
Will a newer extension like .community look unprofessional?
Not if it matches what you do.
A local group on hackney.community looks more believable than a messy, over-long .co.uk.
Can we use our domain for email even if our website is hosted elsewhere?
Yes. Email and website can be set up separately. We’ll help with the DNS records. Be warned though, this can create a great deal of confusion and can cause recipients to think that your emails are actually phishing attacks from a malicious acor. Known as Social Engineering.
What if we operate in multiple boroughs or across the UK?
Go broader with the name (and use pages for locations), or use a broader extension like .org.uk.
Example: yourcause.org.uk with pages like /hackney, /camden, /southwark.
Why register with us?
No big sales pitch, we keep it simple. The price you see is the price you pay. No jacked up renewal costs to more than twice the market prices.
We help when things get confusing (email, DNS, redirects, “why isn’t this working?”). You’ll deal directly with us here in the South East, not strangers abroad and a third world country.
We’ve been doing this since the early 2000s, so experience is a plenty in our toolbox, so your not going to be left going round in confusing and frustrating circles.
Right, so what do I do now?
Pick 3–5 domain options
Match the extension to what you are (.org.uk, .community, .charity, etc.)
Register your favourite domain name
Set up professional email
Point it to your website/donation platform
Update your socials and listings
Redirect any old domains
If you tell us what type of organisation you run (charity, CIC, residents group, etc.) and where you operate (London borough or UK-wide), we’ll suggest a few domain options that fit.
