For those of us who’ve been around the domain name world for a while, this is news worth watching: ICANN has just handed out nearly $10 million in grant money to 21 organizations around the globe. This is the first wave of distributions from their new Grant Program, funded entirely from the proceeds of the 2012 round of new gTLD auctions.
Back in 2012, when multiple companies applied for the same domain extension (think .app, .shop, .blog), ICANN held “last resort” auctions to decide the winners. Those auctions brought in serious money — over $200 million. And for over a decade, the industry’s been asking: what’s going to happen to all that cash? Well, now we know. ICANN has decided to put a chunk of it toward projects that claim to support a more secure, stable, and inclusive internet.
The first batch of recipients includes everything from DNS security initiatives to efforts that increase internet access in underserved communities. A few focus on multilingual access, and others aim to strengthen local internet governance. Each project could receive up to $500,000 — enough to make a difference, especially in the hands of the right people. While it’s too soon to say what the long-term impact will be, it’s a promising start.
This also feels like a bit of long-overdue follow-through. For years, there’s been speculation — and some frustration — over how that auction money would be used. Should it be returned to the applicants? Used to reduce ICANN fees? Held in reserve? This grant program suggests ICANN is taking a more philanthropic route, using those funds to reinforce the broader internet ecosystem. It’s hard to argue with that intention, even if some of us might’ve handled it differently.
Personally, I’m glad to see some motion. The 2012 round changed a lot about how the internet is named and navigated. Seeing that momentum ripple outward, even this far down the road, is a good reminder that this space is still evolving. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of more thoughtful, impactful investments into the infrastructure that keeps the internet running.
I know someone who applied for some of these funds. They had a great and worthy initiative. But if there is one thing learned from these awards, it is that you should ask for more rather than less. It’s the same amount of work for the providers to give out $500K as it is to give out $50K. 🙂
For more information, visit ICANN.
