How .CA gives back to Canadian communities

If you’ve taken even the most casual look at our content, you’ll see that we’re heavily focused on bringing to light the sheer awesomeness associated with .CA. And believe us—there’s lots to celebrate. Not only does a .CA domain show the world you’re Canadian, it shows you’re giving back.  

Surprised? It’s true. Behind every .CA domain is a story of impact. 

Here’s how it works:  

When you purchase a .CA domain, a portion of that sale gets reinvested every year into community initiatives across Canada through CIRA’s Net Good program. We’re proud to have funded 245 projects across Canada with $14.2 million since 2014. 

What is Net Good?  

Think of Net Good as the charitable arm of the .CA domain. And its basic premise is this: the internet is a net positive for the world; a benefit that we believe everyone in Canada should be able to benefit from. 

Through Net Good Grants, we support a huge range of projects, policies and communities that help make the internet better, safer and more accessible for all Canadians.  

What kinds of projects does Net Good fund?  

CIRA’s Net Good Grants support organizations across the country to do the critical work to close Canada’s digital divides in connectivity, online safety and policy engagement.   

Let’s break these down: 

1. Infrastructure: we’re aiming to increase the number of Canadians who have access to high-quality, high-performing internet. So, through Net Good Grants, we back community-led connectivity research and internet infrastructure solutions.  

Real-world example: we helped fund a project that deployed upgraded wireless infrastructure to provide access to low earth orbit (LEO) technology for remote communities in Nunavut.  

2. Online safety: we want Canadians to understand what they need to protect themselves from threats and feel safe online. To that end, we fund research, educational programming, tools, training workshops and more.  

Real-world example: Net Good Grants funded week-long camps that educated Indigenous youth on digital privacy and safety issues, including AI and machine learning, deepfakes, cyber scams and more.  

3. Policy engagement: when it comes to the future of Canada’s – and the world’s – internet, we want to be a highly influential voice in all those conversations. That’s why we fund events, research and policy ecosystem work to increase the public’s awareness (and engagement) in domestic internet policy and governance.  
 
Real-world example: We funded Canada’s first-ever Youth Internet Governance Forum—a national convening to bring youth voices to important internet policy debates that sparked new partnerships, career opportunities and long-term engagement.  

Become a part of something bigger 

These are just a few examples of how your .CA purchase is making a difference. You’ll find many more by visiting our online Grant directory.  

Even if you aren’t part of a community-led or non-profit organization seeking Net Good support, you can still play a role in bettering Canada’s internet simply by registering your .CA domain. By paying those registration fees, you’re feeding into something bigger—be it critical internet infrastructure upgrades for underserved communities, online safety training, or policy research aimed at making internet more affordable.  

Every .CA registration counts for so much more than you might think.  

Your .CA domain purchase helps build a better community. That community builds your business. 

Other reasons to choose .CA 

We think giving back to Canadians is a pretty good reason to choose .CA but there are a few more! 

Choosing a .CA not only supports the local Canadian economy but also signals to your fellow Canucks that you can be trusted, you’re locally based and that they can do business with you in Canadian currency.  

Bottom line: .CA is the best option if you are planning to do business with other Canadians.  

So, as you can see—.CA is a take (your registration fees) and give (to communities) relationship! If you feel like being part of that relationship, let’s start with finding and registering your .CA below!