Poll for the "Goodwill of Domains" / Digital Empowerment Brand

Rob Monster · Oct 6, 2019

There has recently been some extensive discussion about a Domain Microfinance program. Related to this, there has been an invitation to submit brand names for a charitable entity that I have referred to as the "Goodwill of Domains" where domains, as well as potentially other digital assets, are collected, distributed, and liquidated in order to increase Digital Empowerment around the world.

The original domain search was described here. The thesis is that the democratization of digital technology for propagation of knowledge and cross-cultural engagement can finally unleash the potential to lift up many whose lives have yet to benefit meaningfully from the digital age. The brand we are describing here is about more than domain names. It is about using viable technology to empower content, community and commerce.

Examples of what I mean by Digital Empowerment:

- A self-funding framework for identity and payment that makes it easier and safer to transact with strangers.

- A stand-alone WiFi router and server for under $200 that serves as ISP in a box for an entire community.

- A solar array that costs between $50 and $100 and capable of powering a stand-alone WiFi router and server.

Also, by way of organization update, @Abdullah Abdullah, formerly a NamePros moderator based in Yemen, and recently added to the Epik team will play a leadership role in identifying and screening Digital Empowerment strategies that could benefit from cross-border interoperability and scale economies. This organization may be formed as a non-profit which is why most of the names under consideration are .ORG

In the meantime, specific to the brand name, we have some finalists and would appreciate some input on domain selection. A non-profit entity is expected to be established once the entity has a name. The working name, coined by @Blitzpotz, is DevAid. That one is not bad, but the domain was taken, and I think we can do better anyway.

This thread is also fair game for sharing your best ideas for Digital Empowerment technologies that are mature, or approaching maturity that cost little but have high impact once deployed. The 3 examples cited above are real and are illustrative of the direction I see this going. And of course empowered people will want great domains to power their own ventures!

Thanks in advance for your input on the name selection, and thanks for your input to make the pie bigger!

farouk20 · Oct 11, 2019

Rob Monster said:
We actually acquired Websites.org for $10K last month. I think we'll use that name for a different project. I am currently talking to the owner of Archive.org. Imagine if any website you want could be locally cached without adware, malware, tracking code, and with lightweight images so that the content can be easily consumed in parts of the world with low bandwidth. By leveraging decentralized content delivery, sites that load slowly in some parts of the world, would load very quickly, consuming far less power or bandwidth.

Hello Rob, is it possible for Epik to go full 100/100 in dropcatching??, compete with dropcatch? Maybe, just maybe crate user friendly rules and market terms??I believe that would be a great market to focus.

lock · Oct 11, 2019

If end user just pay for the generic name. Ether
digipower
digitalpower
digitalempowerment

mozzeratti · Oct 11, 2019

Commendable undertaking.

manpreet · Oct 11, 2019

Rob Monster said:
We actually acquired Websites.org for $10K last month. I think we'll use that name for a different project. I am currently talking to the owner of Archive.org. Imagine if any website you want could be locally cached without adware, malware, tracking code, and with lightweight images so that the content can be easily consumed in parts of the world with low bandwidth. By leveraging decentralized content delivery, sites that load slowly in some parts of the world, would load very quickly, consuming far less power or bandwidth.

Thats excellent Rob, always appreciate your thoughts.

oldtimer · Oct 11, 2019

Compassion said:
Given the deeper scope yes - reliable.org

Perhaps you are willing to reduce the non ionizing radiating exposure with your Wi-Fi project?

@Compassion and @Rob Monster , I think that Reliable is also a very good domain and might come in handy for one of the many projects that are being undertaken now or in the future. It's always good to have some Reliable people around that can can help when needed. IMO

Josh R · Oct 12, 2019

I own Collab dot org

One of my favorite names, but maybe not a fit for this particular project.

franka46 · Oct 12, 2019

Leopard said:
First, kudos to the cool initiative.

Looks like the scope of the project can expand far beyond domains, websites, web-tech into high tech and actual life changing solutions.

The source of funds can be digital assets, grants, crowdfunding and collaboration from other ventures.

The end-products can range from payment gateways, hardware, software solutions, internet access, infrastructure, knowledge and skill development , job opportunities.

Of my names, i liked Enricher.org - Its all about Enriching lives with knowledge, resources and opportunities. Enrich also signifies wealth creation for the communities.

Other nice names in the mix DigitalProsperity.org ... Benefiter.org ... Websites.org if focus is on just websites and domains

- Leopard

Enricher.org everything in their lives are being enriched ,if that makes sense

Pay.My.id · Oct 13, 2019

GoodWork.Org may be suitable

Rob Monster · Oct 14, 2019

I am pleased to report, we have our winner:

eRise.org

The winner was @Sumeeth - who is a prolific name-spinner and hit a jackpot.

There were several strong alternatives from this set, as well as from the subsequent comments. However, when engaging folks in one-on-one interviews about possible names for a "Digital Empowerment" brand, the one that got people excited was eRise.org.

We are working on the formation of a non-profit entity, which I believe will be a Swiss Foundation. The non-profit status will also make it easier to partner with charities and philanthropies.

The working tagline for eRise.org is:

"Innovative Partnerships for Digital Empowerment”

An example of such a project is the prospective deployment of "Toki servers" in communities with little or no internet connectivity. It is essentially free WiFi made possible by some really clever low-cost technology.

The founding Director for eRise.Org is @Abdullah Abdullah, who has proven to be a talented researcher, a natural diplomat, and also shares my enthusiasm for projects that lift people up.

@Ala Dadan will share some logo candidates for eRise.org soon.

Thanks to everyone for co-creating. We really appreciate it!

Regards,
Rob

Rob Monster
Founder and CEO
Epik Holdings, Inc.

Leopard · Oct 14, 2019

Congratulations to @Rob Monster @Abdullah Abdullah @Sumeeth and all who participated in the process.

eRise.org is a wonderful name and quite the standout name from the list. Short and directly focusing on Digital Empowerment. Provides high potential to create many projects and products under the umbrella name. The name dawns on well over time and gets sticky then.

Other names in the list are really good too. I am sure they would have end-users come in for various social causes.

Cool initiative by the Epik team and wish them success in this endeavor.

Regards
Leopard

Cristi Marin · Oct 14, 2019

Another great journey for finding the right name.
Congrats to all who participated in the process, especially to @Rob Monster and @Sumeeth!

Rob Monster · Oct 15, 2019

Quick update:

Basic site live: https://www.erise.org

Articles of Incorporation drafted for non-profit entity formation: eRise Foundation

@Abdullah Abdullah can be reached at [email protected] for partnership inquiries and suggestions.

bmugford · Oct 15, 2019

Rob Monster said:
Quick update:

Basic site live: https://www.erise.org

Articles of Incorporation drafted for non-profit entity formation: eRise Foundation

@Abdullah Abdullah can be reached at [email protected] for partnership inquiries and suggestions.

I am kind of confused with what this project has morphed into.
It went from basically some small microfinance program to helping the world.

Either way, good luck.

Brad

Rob Monster · Oct 16, 2019

bmugford said:
I am kind of confused with what this project has morphed into.
It went from basically some small microfinance program to helping the world.

Either way, good luck.

Brad

Brad,

Thanks for that.

For perspective, eRise.org has one FTE: @Abdullah Abdullah. This is a story of Crawl, Walk, Run. It is also a bet on Abdullah who I think is rather perfect for the role and off to a fast start.

The reason why it is needed is because of scale. There are impact-minded charities and philanthropies that should be interested in Digital Empowerment projects. Many will only support 501c(3) entities.

It also means that donated domains can become tax-deductible -- that status is still pending but we are working on it.

So, yes, with eRise.org, we have a brand that is bigger than the "Goodwill of domains". It is a brand that we can grow into but then also not outgrow since Digital Empowerment is going to be theme for a while!

Regards,
Rob

Ategy · Oct 16, 2019

Rob Monster said:
It also means that donated domains can become tax-deductible -- that status is still pending but we are working on it.

This is the part that really has me perplexed. Soooo many questions .. lol .. will the deductions be available/valid in all countries? .. more importantly, what will the value of the deductions be? Our purchase price? Our lifetime cost? Someone's judgement on wholesale value? Someone's judgement on retail value? Who's judgement if judgement is involved? lol

If you're able to get a deduction value based on retail valuations, then the tax return could be equal or higher to our costs .. which would effectively mean you'd get countless domains (including some good ones) from people who have other jobs who could actually profit by donating. Otherwise you'll mostly just get crappy domains that people were going to let expire that won't really be sell-able in their final few days/weeks before expiring (and very likely not even worth renewing).

If/how the deductions work I think will ultimately be the difference as to if there will even ever be any funds to merit starting the project or not. I'm still confused .. lol .. but I really wish you luck on this one! I think there's also probably a lot in your head that hasn't fully be clearly explained yet .. I'm expecting to see the light eventually!

Rob Monster · Oct 16, 2019

Ategy.com said:
This is the part that really has me perplexed. Soooo many questions .. lol .. will the deductions be available/valid in all countries? .. more importantly, what will the value of the deductions be? Our purchase price? Our lifetime cost? Someone's judgement on wholesale value? Someone's judgement on retail value? Who's judgement if judgement is involved? lol

If you're able to get a deduction value based on retail valuations, then the tax return could be equal or higher to our costs .. which would effectively mean you'd get countless domains (including some good ones) from people who have other jobs who could actually profit by donating. Otherwise you'll mostly just get crappy domains that people were going to let expire that won't really be sell-able in their final few days/weeks before expiring (and very likely not even worth renewing).

If/how the deductions work I think will ultimately be the difference as to if there will even ever be any funds to merit starting the project or not. I'm still confused .. lol .. but I really wish you luck on this one! I think there's also probably a lot in your head that hasn't fully be clearly explained yet .. I'm expecting to see the light eventually!

Yes, there is a lot in my head. That is true. Crawl, walk, run.

Step 1: US WA Non-profit corporation: limited resource, small staff, US tax-deductible status, sustained by Epik Holdings, Inc.

Step 2: Prospective Swiss Foundation: Expanded capitalization, local compliance, and larger organization.

I am sure @Abdullah Abdullah, who is an exceptional researcher, will help sort these things out. However, better to start crawling on digital empowerment initiatives versus being overwhelmed by the task.

The end game plan is to help bring another billion people online in the next 5 years. Why that number? It was inspired and seemed audacious but achievable.

bmugford · Oct 16, 2019

Ategy.com said:
This is the part that really has me perplexed. Soooo many questions .. lol .. will the deductions be available/valid in all countries? .. more importantly, what will the value of the deductions be? Our purchase price? Our lifetime cost? Someone's judgement on wholesale value? Someone's judgement on retail value? Who's judgement if judgement is involved? lol

If you're able to get a deduction value based on retail valuations, then the tax return could be equal or higher to our costs .. which would effectively mean you'd get countless domains (including some good ones) from people who have other jobs who could actually profit by donating. Otherwise you'll mostly just get crappy domains that people were going to let expire that won't really be sell-able in their final few days/weeks before expiring (and very likely not even worth renewing).

If/how the deductions work I think will ultimately be the difference as to if there will even ever be any funds to merit starting the project or not. I'm still confused .. lol .. but I really wish you luck on this one! I think there's also probably a lot in your head that hasn't fully be clearly explained yet .. I'm expecting to see the light eventually!

There are strict tax rules when it comes to deductions on donations and their valuation.
It can be extremely complex, especially in a very subjective field.

This is a huge potential red flag for the IRS as well as it could basically be used to circumvent income tax by overvaluing the donated domains, or other assets.

Brad

Rob Monster · Oct 16, 2019

bmugford said:
There are strict tax rules when it comes to deductions on donations and their valuation.
It can be extremely complex, especially in a very subjective field.

This is a huge potential red flag for the IRS as well as it could basically be used to circumvent income tax by overvaluing the donated domains, or other assets.

Brad

Same with Goodwill donations -- only there you right in your own value! So, our appraisals will at least be based on an algorithm which is better than Goodwill. It is a solvable problem at this stage.

bmugford · Oct 16, 2019

Rob Monster said:
Same with Goodwill donations -- only there you right in your own value! So, our appraisals will at least be based on an algorithm which is better than Goodwill. It is a solvable problem at this stage.

Having researched this in the past, I don't think this is as easy as you are making it sound.
It is a lot easier to valuate tangible goods. They are far less subjective.

First of all often you need valuations from more than one "expert" in the field.

Also, as far as US taxes go, many donations to foreign based charities or non-profits are not tax deducible. They are under certain situations which might or might not apply.

I think you would need more legal and tax guidance before you go that direction.

Brad

Rob Monster · Oct 16, 2019

bmugford said:
Having researched this in the past, I don't think this is as easy as you are making it sound.
It is a lot easier to valuate tangible goods. They are far less subjective.

First of all often you need valuations from more than one "expert" in the field.

Also, as far as US taxes go, many donations to foreign based charities or non-profits are not tax deducible. They are under certain situations which might or might not apply.

I think you would need more legal and tax guidance before you go that direction.

Brad

Brad,

ICYMI:

https://www.epik.com/services/appraisals/

We have been processing IRS form 8283 filings for customers for years. I would say I am an authority on domain valuation, seeing many transactions both reported and unreported.

We are not running a tax shelter. We are pursuing Digital Empowerment initiatives. If there are some modest tax benefits for certain folks, that is a nice bonus for them but not the reason for the entity to exist.

Crawl, walk, run.

Ategy · Oct 16, 2019

Not to burst your billion person bubble .. lol .. but 1 billion people per 5 years is about the current pace (200B-250B/yr) .. there are now currently slightly over 4.5B people online .. in a world of 5.7B people above the age of 14. So at the current rate including population growth, the world will be effectively covered in 7 years. And that's if there are no new technologies implemented (which is pretty much impossible given the current development cycle has tons of telecom technologies ready to go on a regular basis).

That being said .. there most certainly are great ways to help in global development. Namely education. Far and away the most effective means of saving the world is education .. well .. maybe the implementation of a trade-able planetary per person carbon/resource limit .. but given the fact that's more a political solution and also that most people don't even understand what that is when I try to explain it .. go with education! lol

bmugford said:
There are strict tax rules when it comes to deductions on donations and their valuation. It can be extremely complex, especially in a very subjective field. This is a huge potential red flag for the IRS as well as it could basically be used to circumvent income tax by overvaluing the donated domains, or other assets.

That's kinda what I was trying to say .. without being too much of a Debbie-Downer! lol

Rob Monster said:
Same with Goodwill donations -- only there you right in your own value! So, our appraisals will at least be based on an algorithm which is better than Goodwill. It is a solvable problem at this stage.

Hasn't the domainer community established that a valuation algorithm is effectively impossible for domains? I'm a fan of Estibot and I even subscribe to Estibot .. it's a great domainer tool .. but the actual valuation number it spits out, particularly for brandables, is completely unreliable. And they've been at it well over 5 years now.
But more than the evaluation, in the end I think the bottom line is that you will have a very hard time justifying giving total receipts for a total value of more than the total sales of domains. Which in all honesty .. best case scenario, will be maybe a dollar at most per domain donated when you look at the average? (Remembering to include the vast majority of domains that won't sell as part of that average)

Rob Monster said:
ICYMI: https://www.epik.com/services/appraisals/
We have been processing IRS form 8283 filings for customers for years. I would say I am an authority on domain valuation, seeing many transactions both reported and unreported.
We are not running a tax shelter. We are pursuing Digital Empowerment initiatives. If there are some modest tax benefits for certain folks, that is a nice bonus for them but not the reason for the entity to exist.

Aren't those automated valuations based on stats from Estibot? I don't see how you can get the real world value of brandables from their stats when they can't themselves?

Also .. I'm 99.99% sure nobody is accusing you of being a tax shelter .. but .. the main problem is that I think realistically some of us are are worried about, is the the amount of funds you'll be able to raise based on the domains that would be donated without tax receipts vs with tax receipts based on full retail value.

I mean on average good domains sell at about 1-2% a year .. but already you'll only be getting domains that people didn't value at over the $8.50 cost of renewal .. plus domain sales volume is heavily skewed towards the best quality .. so the domains in question will have an annual sell-through rate of 0.1-0.2% .. then compound that with the fact that's the annual rate, but you'll only have a shelf life of the few remaining weeks before expiration (a bit longer for domains at Epik) .. so divide that optimistically by 10, and we're looking at a sell-through rate of 1/5,000 to 1/10,000 per domain donated. So effectively we're looking at pennies in revenue per domain donated on average.

I really wish I could see the math more optimistically .. but unless you're able to find buyers for these mostly rejected domains in bulk, then it's going to be really difficult.

I really hated writing the above as I know you're trying to do a good thing .. but it actually sparked a cool idea in my head based off of something else I was going to write you about with regards to something that happened to me at Epik .. expect an email in the next day or two!

Ategy · Oct 16, 2019

Actually .. we're all idiots .. lmao

Taxation is actually going to be EXTREMELY easy. Remember that the domains are all expiring relatively soon. So obviously the donation amount would be what the domain actually sells for! lol .. How none of us saw that obvious solution is pretty sad! (It's so obvious I can't even call it a solution .. it's actually likely what any government would insist upon, because as I already said above, I don't see it being possible possible to issue tax receipts from an amount larger than the revenue obtained from the donated domains)

But while that simplifies the taxation side of things .. it then creates a different issue. With the super majority of domains not selling, almost no one will get any tax receipts which in turn makes me fear people will only donate junk domains not even worth the $8.50 renewal.

Also .. separately from the tax issues .. I think a lot of people might be reluctant to donate expiring domains specifically because they are embarrassed to submit domains they weren't able to sell. (Likely a significantly bigger obstacle than the very likely lack of a tax receipt).

I did have an interesting alternative, but I won't mention it publicly because it involves other (GREAT .. lol) suggestions I sent to Rob for Epik. (Check your inbox when you have a 15 minute break)

Abdullah Abdullah · Oct 16, 2019

Ategy.com said:
Actually .. we're all idiots .. lmao

Taxation is actually going to be EXTREMELY easy. Remember that the domains are all expiring relatively soon. So obviously the donation amount would be what the domain actually sells for! lol .. How none of us saw that obvious solution is pretty sad! (It's so obvious I can't even call it a solution .. it's actually likely what any government would insist upon, because as I already said above, I don't see it being possible possible to issue tax receipts from an amount larger than the revenue obtained from the donated domains)

But while that simplifies the taxation side of things .. it then creates a different issue. With the super majority of domains not selling, almost no one will get any tax receipts which in turn makes me fear people will only donate junk domains not even worth the $8.50 renewal.

Also .. separately from the tax issues .. I think a lot of people might be reluctant to donate expiring domains specifically because they are embarrassed to submit domains they weren't able to sell. (Likely a significantly bigger obstacle than the very likely lack of a tax receipt).

I did have an interesting alternative, but I won't mention it publicly because it involves other (GREAT .. lol) suggestions I sent to Rob for Epik. (Check your inbox when you have a 15 minute break)

Looking at where we want to reach with this whole thing, I would say it is not just about domains. People will be able to donate not just domains but even money. There are ways and solutions to intelligently give and make sure your donations are going toward a project that has clear goals to aim and achieve, while in the same time being significant to the community it is targeting. This is why @Rob Monster established a non profit organization in the US, and I am sure he is aware of the rules and regulations such organizations must abide by in his state/country.

NicTraders · Oct 16, 2019

Rob Monster said:
Quick update:

Basic site live: https://www.erise.org

Articles of Incorporation drafted for non-profit entity formation: eRise Foundation

@Abdullah Abdullah can be reached at [email protected] for partnership inquiries and suggestions.

You might want to fix the title:

Poll for the "Goodwill of Domains" / Digital Empowerment Brand

Which names would you prefer as an online resource for digital empowerment?

Reliable.org

eRise.org

DigitalAssist.org

DigitalProsperity.org

GoodWork.org

Websites.org

Enricher.org

Plentiful.org

Digitalchampion.org

UpRaiser.org

Benefiter.org

Digitaler.org

Endowing .org

Valueful.org

Overpower.org

DestinedToRise.org

DestinedToBe.org

Founder of EpikTop Member

Hit me up for SHGI.net. Nice LLLL.netEstablished Member

FREE.MARKETINGTop Member

Established Member

Top Member

SaveThyWorld.com Let's not leave anyone behindTop Member

Josh.coTop Member

Top Member

Top Member

Founder of EpikTop Member

Named 150 + Companies . Brand ConsultantEstablished Member

Established Member

Founder of EpikTop Member

www.DataCube.comTop Member

Founder of EpikTop Member

Arif M, NameCult.com TheDomainSocial.comTop Member

Founder of EpikTop Member

www.DataCube.comTop Member

Founder of EpikTop Member

www.DataCube.comTop Member

Founder of EpikTop Member

Arif M, NameCult.com TheDomainSocial.comTop Member

Arif M, NameCult.com TheDomainSocial.comTop Member

Top Member

Top Member

Similar threads

We're social

Pinned

Appreciation

Agreement