A general conservation survey or assessment, which provides an overview of the basic conservation needs of an institution, has proved effective in determining conservation priorities and in developing preventive conservation strategies for the future, particularly for smaller museums. A conservation assessment is frequently requested from museums seeking federal and/or private funding in the United States of America. In addition, the resulting long-range conservation plan is a useful supporting document for grant proposals requesting funds for specific treatment, environmental monitoring equipment and storage components. A federally funded grant program, the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP), was developed in 1990 by the Institute of Museum Services to provide free, general conservation surveys to institutions with small to medium-sized collections. The approach and methodology used for these surveys, and for developing a preventive conservation plan, are based on a project developed by the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property, Inc. and the Getty Conservation Institute.