A little while ago Vittana hit a milestone of $100k in loans.  Tomorrow, on 5/18, they hit another milestone: they are turning one!  Come help Vittana celebrate by coming to the party this Tuesday at the Spitfire in Seattle.

When: Tuesday, May 18; 6-10 p.m.

Where: Spitfire, 2219 4th Ave., Seattle, WA

RSVP here

About Vittana
“We believe in the power of education to change circumstances forever and in its ability to help young people take charge of their lives.

Vittana is a different kind of organization. Our founders, board of directors, staff and supporting organizations are drawn from some of the best technology companies, non-profit organizations and design and law firms in the world. We’re drawing upon the best lessons from the business and non-profit worlds to help create lasting change for students around the world. Learn more about our mission and how it all comes together.”

I know I’m writing this one a little late (been traveling in Asia) but wanted to give a shout out to Vittana and United Prosperity.  Both Microfinance platforms have recently reach over $100,000 in loans!  There are of course other platforms that have exceeded this already, but Vittana and UnitedProsperity are two that have launched within the last year and have taken a new spin on lending.  It is great to see that even through a recession, people are still finding the time to help other people who are even more in need.  Here are some kind words from each:

Vittana:

We launched a brand-new website and a huge marketing campaign around March Madness that just ended last night. In the process, we doubled our user base, passed $100,000 in total amount lent, then turned around and raised over $50,000 in March alone, ultimately helping fund over 100 students. Because of you, those students are able to get their degrees to become nurses, accountants, lawyers, mechanics, teachers and much more.
Wow! Now, it’s time to celebrate. We’re going to be hanging out on the upper level of Barça on Capitol Hill with our friends from SeaMo (Seattle Microfinance) all evening on Friday, so come grab a drink with us. We want to celebrate with the people who made it happen – you, our lenders. So come after work, bring a friend, and we’ll have a fantastic time.

UnitedProsperity:

Thank you very much for  helping  Unitedprosperity.org reach the major milestone of providing US$100,000 in loans to 500 entrepreneurs living in extreme poverty since our launch in May 2009. These entrepreneurs and their families are typically living on $2 a day, and have one vision – to grow their businesses and thereby improve their lives. Thanks to your support, these entrepreneurs have been able to realize their dreams and improve their lives. Please visit the impact section to see how these ‘microloans’  are being used for a variety of initiatives ranging from buying cattle for milk to building product inventory in their small shops.

This month, SeaMo (Cosponsored by the UW Global Business Center) is throwing another one of their great microfinance networking events, Microfinance & Microbrews.  This month, Kushal Chakrabarti will be speaking about Vittana.  Here’s some more details about the event:

What: VITTANA, a new Seattle based microfinance organization pioneering education loans in developing countries
When: Wednesday Nov. 18th – Doors open at 5:30pm, presentation begins at 6:15pm
Where: Spitfire 2219 4th Ave, Seattle WA
Who:You and other professionals, students and community members learning about Vittana.org directly from co-founder Kushal Chakrabarti Named a Gamechanger for Philanthropy by the Huffington Post
Why: We know the value of microfinance loans to support adults launching small businesses, but what about giving young people a way to fund their secondary and college educations? Vittana.org is doing just that – going directly to students with loans from us to fund knowledge development around the world.