The document discusses how 15th century Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi invented linear perspective in paintings. It notes that before Brunelleschi, paintings did not look realistic. It then explains that the best grant writers understand the power of perspective - they are able to step back and view a project or organization's work from the perspective of a funder, focusing on impact rather than just outputs and outcomes. An example is provided of a before-school breakfast program explaining the impact on student attendance and grades rather than just the number of meals served. The document advises grant writers to start by painting the big impact picture and then create lines connecting outcomes, outputs and inputs to the vanishing point to crack Brunelleschi's secret formula for

1. Katy McCormick, Grants Consultant
Let this 15th century Italian architect help you
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2. ✤ Before the Renaissance, most art in Europe didn’t look
realistic. Painters put the most important figures right
in the middle of the painting and made them larger
than any of the other parts of the painting. People in
these paintings looked flat and ungrounded in reality -
almost as if they were floating in space.

4. ✤ Then along came the architect, Filippo Brunelleschi,
who invented linear perspective. He understood that
all parallel lines appear to converge on a vanishing
point. He even came up with a mathematical formula
that the great painters of the Renaissance like Da
Vinci used.

6. ✤ The best grant writers understand the power of
perspective. Although project staff are great at
describing their organization’s work, often they are so
busy “doing the doing” they don’t step back and look
at the work from the perspective of a funder.
✤ Consider a before-school breakfast program serving
low-income children. Of course funders want to know
how many meals were served to how many children
for how many days. But what really drives giving is the
story of the impact: How many of those kids have
better attendance, better grades, or fewer disciplinary
issues because they had regular breakfasts?

7. ✤ Always start by painting the big impact picture. Then
create your lines (outcomes, outputs, project inputs) to
the vanishing point. Once you can see your project
from the outside in, you’ll have cracked Brunelleschi’s
secret formula.