A Middlebury, Connecticut based nonprofit that has spent more than a decade helping veterans and vulnerable residents move into fully furnished homes is now facing an unexpected challenge: recovering control of its own domain names.
The Make a Home Foundation has launched a GoFundMe campaign (https://gofund.me/60c79fca7) to raise funds for legal expenses required to recover domain names that were allegedly transferred without authorization during a website redevelopment project. The organization is seeking approximately $5,000 to cover filing fees and legal costs associated with a formal domain name dispute process.
For a nonprofit that operates just three days a week—Wednesday through Friday—and relies heavily on community support, the loss of control over its domain names has created immediate and ongoing disruption.
“This isn’t just about a website,” said those familiar with the situation. “When a nonprofit loses control of its domain name, it affects everything—visibility, trust, and even the ability to communicate.”
Founded in 2010 by Anita Pettengill and Dan Telesco, the Make a Home Foundation was created after the founders saw a need to help veterans transitioning into housing without basic necessities. What began with donated furniture and a small pickup truck has grown into a 35,000-square-foot operation in Middlebury, serving veterans, domestic violence survivors, and individuals moving out of homelessness.
The organization provides complete home setups—from beds and couches to dishes and silverware—ensuring that individuals do not walk into empty living spaces.
“If this organization didn’t exist, many people would move into housing with nothing,” said a supporter. “No furniture. No kitchen items. No sense of home.”
The foundation is entirely women-run and continues to serve some of the most vulnerable members of the Connecticut community.
The GoFundMe campaign aims to fund the legal process required to recover the domain names. Filing fees for a domain dispute can reach up to $1,500 per domain name, in addition to legal costs.
Any funds raised beyond the $5,000 goal will go directly toward supporting the Make a Home Foundation’s mission of furnishing homes for those in need.
The Make a Home Foundation has launched a GoFundMe campaign (https://gofund.me/60c79fca7) to raise funds for legal expenses required to recover domain names that were allegedly transferred without authorization during a website redevelopment project. The organization is seeking approximately $5,000 to cover filing fees and legal costs associated with a formal domain name dispute process.
For a nonprofit that operates just three days a week—Wednesday through Friday—and relies heavily on community support, the loss of control over its domain names has created immediate and ongoing disruption.
“This isn’t just about a website,” said those familiar with the situation. “When a nonprofit loses control of its domain name, it affects everything—visibility, trust, and even the ability to communicate.”
Founded in 2010 by Anita Pettengill and Dan Telesco, the Make a Home Foundation was created after the founders saw a need to help veterans transitioning into housing without basic necessities. What began with donated furniture and a small pickup truck has grown into a 35,000-square-foot operation in Middlebury, serving veterans, domestic violence survivors, and individuals moving out of homelessness.
The organization provides complete home setups—from beds and couches to dishes and silverware—ensuring that individuals do not walk into empty living spaces.
“If this organization didn’t exist, many people would move into housing with nothing,” said a supporter. “No furniture. No kitchen items. No sense of home.”
The foundation is entirely women-run and continues to serve some of the most vulnerable members of the Connecticut community.
The GoFundMe campaign aims to fund the legal process required to recover the domain names. Filing fees for a domain dispute can reach up to $1,500 per domain name, in addition to legal costs.
Any funds raised beyond the $5,000 goal will go directly toward supporting the Make a Home Foundation’s mission of furnishing homes for those in need.
