Research & Analysis

Responsible Finance: Putting Principles to Work

This paper defines what we mean by responsible finance, both as an end-state vision and in terms of a pragmatic focus on client protection and social performance management.

Five business case insights on Mobile Money 2011

Too Much Microcredit? A Survey of the Evidence on Over-Indebtedness

This paper is written primarily for microlenders and the institutions that fund them. We examine conceptual issues and the limited empirical evidence about over-indebtedness in microcredit markets.

An Overview of the G2P Payments Sector in India

CGAP has an ongoing focus on branchless banking in India and on G2P globally. This document is a useful overview that provides a structured framework for thinking about the complexity of G2P across various actors.

Emerging Lessons of Public Funders in Branchless Banking

This paper highlights emerging lessons from the public funders that have been engaged in branchless banking. The goal is to help other funders consider the role they might play in this area. Branchless banking offers the potential to fundamentally transform the way low-income clients can access financial services.

Measuring Changes in Client Lives through Microfinance

This Brief looks at the monitoring and assessment tools the microfinance industry uses to measure elements of social performance such as client poverty levels.

Foreign Capital Investment in Microfinance:

Despite the financial crisis, in the past four years foreign investment in microfinance, including both debt and equity, has quadrupled to reach US$13 billion.

CGAP-MIX 2010 Sub-Saharan Africa Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report

This report analyzes the state of microfinance in 2009 throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Cross-border Funding of Microfinance

This Focus Note draws on data from CGAP’s annual surveys on cross-border funding (2009, 2010) to provide an overview of the microfinance funding landscape and trends in cross-border funding.

Reaching the Poorest: Lessons from the Graduation Model

This paper highlights the lessons learned from the CGAP–Ford Foundation Graduation Program, a series of 10 pilot projects in eight countries.