“Consultative Group to Assist the Poor” or “CGAP” in short is housed at the World Bank, but operates as an independent entity.

CGAP in their own words:
“CGAP is the leading independent resource for objective information, expert opinion, and innovative solutions for microfinance. We work with the financial industry, governments and investors to effectively expand access to financial services for poor people around the world. Our mission is to help alleviate poverty by advancing access to finance.”“CGAP distributes vital industry information and research through a variety of free publications and Web sites. We work with stakeholders to set standards and identify best practices, and we provide advisory services for governments and financial institutions. Working through a network of worldwide partners, we develop innovative solutions that help microfinance to more effectively serve the needs of poor people.”

CGAP has a division of Market Intelligence which is the data hub for global trends in access to finance.
From a layman’s perspective CGAP is into Microfinance; helping the poor and needy with low rate of interest on loans and high interest rates on their savings.

www.cgap.org