Staff Directory

Molly Tolzmann

Financial Sector Specialist

Molly Tolzmann has worked in financial inclusion since 2014. Her work at CGAP is focused on coordination, effectiveness, and transparency in funder operations. She leads the CGAP Annual Cross-Border Funder Survey, contributes to CGAP’s funder learning and guidance initiatives, and supports engagement with CGAP’s Council of Governors.

Before joining CGAP, she designed print and digital learning products on savings groups and microfinance associations for the SEEP Network. She has worked on visual ethnographies and conducted qualitative research at an array of global field sites, including the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

Molly has a Master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies from the University of Minnesota.  

By Molly Tolzmann

Research

2021 Trends in International Funding for Financial Inclusion

CGAP’s annual Funder Survey break downs financial inclusion funding data to offer new intelligence about who’s doing what and where—insights that could be used to inform future development programming and coordination, to ultimately impact the lives of people living in poverty.
Research

2020 Trends in International Funding for Financial Inclusion

International funders committed approximately US$58 billion to financial inclusion in 2020, a $6 billion increase from the prior year. Commitments from public funders continued to drive growth.
Blog

Inclusive Finance in Fragile Countries: Advancing a Vital Agenda

With 80% of the world’s poorest expected to be living in fragile countries by 2030, fighting poverty means addressing fragility. Though often overlooked, underdeveloped financial systems and financial exclusion are key aspects of fragility.
Blog

Africa Is Top Recipient of Financial Inclusion Funding

For the first time since CGAP began its funder survey, Sub-Saharan Africa in 2019 received more financial inclusion funding than any other region, with $7.6 billion in commitments. But new pressures on development budgets could impact the region.
Blog

Investing in Half the Sky: Funders and Women’s Financial Inclusion

To better understand how funders are approaching women’s financial inclusion, CGAP took a fresh look at its 2019 Funder Survey data and conducted a supplemental survey of 30 funders in August 2020.