Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest

CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that promotes financial inclusion. As an international public-private partnership, it is supported by more than 35 national and international development organisations and corporate foundations from the financial and IT sectors. Its stated aim is to improve the lives of the poor. CGAP stands for Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, which is rarely used in full form. CGAP aims to achieve its goal by analysing and promoting commercial business models that enable the financial, IT and telecommunications sectors to reach as many people as possible with digital financial services, especially the poor. The World Bank provides the space and secretariat for CGAP, but its administrative and financial structure is independent of the World Bank. In addition to governmental and intergovernmental development organisations (including KfW, GIZ and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), major US corporate foundations from the financial and IT sectors are key members (Citi Foundation, Dell Foundation, Gates Foundation, Mastercard Foundation, Metlife Foundation, Omidyar Network). Since April 2019, Jason Lamb of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has chaired CGAP's Executive Committee. Greta Bull stepped down in July 2021 as Chief Executive Officer and was replaced by Sophie Sirtaine.