| Vittana | |
| Founded Date: | 2008 |
| Defunct: | 2014 |
| Founder: | Kushal Chakrabarti Brett Witt |
| Location: | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Website: | www.vittana.org (formally, now a personal finance blog) |
| Area Served: | Worldwide |
| Focus: | Education |
| Method: | Microcredit |
Vittana was a non-governmental organization that allowed people to lend money via the Internet to students in the developing world.[1] It was a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Seattle.[2] Vittana focused on student loans because student loans are nearly unavailable in developing countries.[3]
The loans issued by Vittana ranged from $200 to $1,500 and were funded by individual lenders through Kiva's lending platform and Vittana's funds.[1] Students were given cash advances for educational expenses before money from donors had been collected.[4]
The cash advance provided by a partner organization was covered when Kiva, or Vittana had aggregated sufficient money from donors.[5] A mother or a close relative acted as a co-signer. The recipient of the loan could repay the loan after landing a job. Vittana students had a 98% repayment rate.
Vittana ceased operations in 2014.[6]