The number of people whose lives are threatened by crises is increasing and current responses are inadequate and inefficient. Pre-arranged financing is a critical component in improving crisis response. Therefore, understanding the gap between crisis financing needs, and how much is pre-arranged, could have a wide range of benefits. This report synthesises research exploring the feasibility of producing quantitative estimates of the costs of crisis protection across a variety of geographies and crisis types. Based on this research it presents a conceptual framework and provides demonstration analyses. The conclusions shine a light both on how it is increasingly possible to generate forward looking estimates of crisis protection gaps, what challenges remain and the benefits of overcoming these challenges.