Looks like Esther Dyson and others are forming a co-operative to offer an alternative bid to Ethos:
It is unfortunate that the proposed alternative is yet another US corporation, though the bulk of .ORG registrants are American so this will likely be unchallenged.
Chance of ISOC accepting to even evaluate this alternative bid without pressure is slim given that many deals like Ethos' contain penalties for backing out. But the pressure is certainly there, and not abating.