Research & Analysis

Microfinance Product Costing Tool

CGAP developed and field tested an activity-based costing tool to help MFI managers understand and analyze individual product costs, especially administrative/organizational costs. Once a product's costs are determined, the tool suggests methods for understanding why and how the costs were incurred and how the product contributes (or not) to the overall financial viability of the MFI.

Breaking Down the Walls between Microfinance and the Formal Financial System

Microfinance works. It enables the poor to build assets, diversify and increase incomes, and reduce their vulnerability to economic stress. Microfinance is sustainable: Dozens of institutions have proved that financial services for poor people can cover their full costs, through adequate interest spreads, relentless focus on efficiency, and aggressive enforcement of repayment.

The Role of Governments in Microfinance

Understanding the limited but constructive role governments can play in building financial systems is key to ensuring poor people's permanent access to quality financial services. This Donor Brief explains how experienced donors can support governments to develop sound policy frameworks and encourage vibrant and competitive microfinance, rather than directly providing financial services.

The Impact of Interest Rate Ceilings on Microfinance

Interest rate ceilings imposed by governments to protect poor people unfortunately often have the opposite effect. Customers do need protection from predatory lending practices, and this Donor Brief offers other options governments and donors can use.

How Donors Can Help Build Pro-Poor Financial Systems

This Donor Brief outlines a practical way that donors can work, individually or on collaboration, to support pro-poor financial systems that ensure permanent access to financial services for significant numbers of poor people.

Foreign Investment in Microfinance

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) will be able to serve massive numbers of the poor with high-quality financial services only when these MFIs have tapped commercial sources of funding and deposits.

Key Principles of Microfinance

Because sustainable microfinance is a key element in creating solid financial markets in developing countries, CGAP's members developed and endorsed these Key Principles of Microfinance. The G8 also endorsed these principles at its June 2004 Summit in Sea Island, Georgia, USA, as part of its commitment to expanding access to microfinance. Principles address how sustainable microfinance can be a powerful instrument against poverty.

Microinsurance: A Risk Management Strategy

Microinsurance is one of the many financial services that can help poor people protect themselves from risk. This Donor Brief provides practical dos and don'ts for donors interested in supporting this promising but still largely untested field.

Financial Services for the Rural Poor

This Donor Brief clarifies the confusing terminology related to rural finance and identifies the main constraints to financial services in rural areas. It also pinpoints specific issues donor agencies face internally to effectively support financial services for the rural poor and offers helpful guidance.

Assessing the Relative Poverty of Microfinance Clients:

This is a brief overview of the Poverty Assessment Tool, which can be used to construct a multi-dimensional Poverty Index.