The donation rate is the best measurement of need by a state agency as it reflects a four-quarter perspective of how much surplus property is actually donated.

The Property Management State Allocation Grid is the tool used by the three national allocation offices to distribute available surplus property fairly and equitably to requesting state agencies for surplus property. This historical register captures the number of specialized items that a state agency has acquired over a year's timeframe. The distribution formula relates to a target level of property acquisition for each state based on a state's per capita income and population.