CGAP

Transforming Lives with Financial Inclusion

04/21/2026

For the first time, CGAP mapped a wider landscape of funding flows into financial inclusion—and it looks radically different than previously researched.

We identified 2,015 "new" capital providers beyond the traditional pool of international funders. Ninety percent are private actors—venture capital firms, commercial banks, and asset managers—most operating without explicit impact mandates. And they're not coming from where you'd expect: more than half are headquartered in emerging markets, signaling a potential shift in the development capital architecture.

This creates both opportunities and risks. Commercial funders can scale solutions and drive development outcomes in new ways, but may also leave behind the populations and outcome areas that do not generate commercial returns.

As ODA declines, understanding who these "new" funders are and how to engage them isn't optional—it's urgent.

Read the full paper: https://cgap.pub/4vDBOXr

04/20/2026

Financial providers wanted to serve rural women better, but climate overwhelmed everything else.

CGAP's Jamie Anderson shares how this feedback from commercial banks, MFIs, fintechs, and agtechs shaped a new research direction. Providers felt they had to choose: focus on climate or focus on customers. But the reality is these challenges are interconnected, and solutions need to be too.

That's why CGAP partnered with IDH on ABERA to identify business models that work commercially while building climate resilience for the companies and the women they serve.

Watch to learn more 👇
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-sD75a7fo5E

04/16/2026

Three years ago, conflict erupted in Sudan, dismantling everything households once relied on to survive. And the financial sector has been gutted: liquidity gone, infrastructure destroyed, social protection unraveled.

Humanitarian actors stepped in with cash assistance, but fragmented financial service providers, limited liquidity, and complex payment processes created delays that put lives at risk.

In our latest podcast episode, we explore a promising solution: the Shared Distribution Network (SEND), developed by CGAP and the Sudan Collective (formerly the Cash Consortium of Sudan), to cut through these delays and improve the cost-effectiveness of cash delivery.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://cgap.pub/4vxz6m8

04/15/2026

Drawing on the World Food Programme 's work in , , & , CGAP's new case study reveals how inclusive insurance can build food security at scale.

Key lessons: government integration cuts costs and drives uptake; forecast-based payouts protect smallholder livelihoods faster; and risk reduction is no longer optional — it is a prerequisite for insurability.

Read it here: https://cgap.pub/3OKGWIt

04/14/2026

🔍 Do open finance regimes need supervision?

CGAP’s latest working paper not only argues that open finance supervision is needed, but that it must be built into the foundation of the regime.

For the first time, CGAP sheds light on the unexplored topic of open finance supervision and oversight, presenting emerging practices, lessons learned, and supporting evidence.

In the new paper, the authors identify the core supervisory priorities financial service authorities should focus on in the early years of implementation:
➡ Monitoring API performance and ecosystem health
➡ Ensuring that consent journeys are transparent and fair for consumers
➡ Guarding against fraud and data misuse
➡ Tracking whether open finance helps achieve the stated policy objective

These priorities reflect a broader shift in supervisory philosophy—from monitoring rule compliance to actively monitoring whether open finance is delivering on its stated policy goals.

Effective supervision and oversight help ensure that open finance delivers on its transformative potential, enabling consumers and businesses to share their financial data securely across providers, driving competition, innovation, and financial inclusion.

Read the full paper: https://cgap.pub/47TnqQA

04/13/2026

Impact investors are moving from defining what to measure to asking how evidence can inform better decision-making. Yet even as evidence on outcomes improves, many still struggle to use it effectively.

In this Impacta op-ed, we argue that the next frontier isn't more measurement—it's right-fit impact measurement and management. This means using evidence strategically, with clearer thresholds, realistic expectations, and better management of impact risk. 📊

Read the full piece: https://impactalpha.com/how-can-we-meaningfully-integrate-outcomes-in-impact-investing/

04/12/2026

While global climate finance is increasing. Yet there remains a critical gap between high-level funding and the actual resilience gains felt by impacted communities on the ground.

Recent analysis from CGAP argues that we must shift our focus from merely tracking dollar amounts to measuring the real-world impact of financial inclusion and locally-led adaptation efforts.

By integrating tools like insurance, savings, and credit into the climate agenda, we can ensure that every dollar invested translates into a more secure future for those on the front lines of environmental change.

More in our latest blog: https://cgap.pub/4cg2S69

04/10/2026

is making rapid progress in open finance through its Account Aggregator (AA) system, which allows individuals to securely share their financial data with consent to access better products and services.

A new national survey by CGAP and Sahamati of 1,860 smartphone users shows momentum is building. However, our research also uncovered a concerning gender gap, with men more likely than women to share their data.

AAs could transform financial inclusion in India, but success will depend on strengthening trust through transparent communication and increasing awareness of the consent-based process.

Key findings below 👇

04/09/2026

is held back by friction, not a lack of rules. To scale, the sector must move from creating frameworks to making them investable through risk-based approvals, coordination, and dialogue.

More in our blog: https://cgap.pub/4mpqIB8

04/07/2026

By 2050, one in five people on the planet will be 60 or older. Most of them will live in low or middle-income countries (Mathews, 2024). Yet just 5% of people in lower-income countries are actively contributing to a pension scheme. (ILO, 2024)

As traditional support systems become less reliable, many older people face the prospect of aging without financial security. That's a challenge we can't afford to ignore.

CGAP's new video explores how governments can design smarter, more inclusive pension schemes to help close that gap. 🎬 Watch it below 👇

04/03/2026

Digital credit is fast, private, and convenient for consumers. It is also potentially risky.

Fraud, data misuse, lack of transparency, and over-indebtedness can undermine trust and harm borrowers. Addressing these challenges requires a disciplined approach to risk management—identifying risks early, preventing them where possible, mitigating those that can’t be avoided, and resolving harm swiftly.

All stakeholders have a role in building a safer, more responsible digital credit ecosystem that delivers positive outcomes for customers.

04/01/2026

Frontline communities face intensifying climate shocks. Yet when extreme weather hits, the very institutions best placed to help—microfinance institutions—often pull back, cutting lending precisely when clients need capital most.

That's starting to change.

Our latest podcast episode explores how MFIs are using recovery loans and contingent credit lines to help clients adapt and recover faster. VisionFund International shares how recovery lending is flipping the script on the way inclusive finance institutions respond to climate shocks. We also hear from Bancamía on contingent lines of credit and how they help clients bounce back faster after climate-related disasters.

Tune in to learn how lending innovations can help protect livelihoods and strengthen resilience in a warming world: https://cgap.pub/4sbRFJE

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