"Ethnography is a form of research that can give grant makers — and, often, grantees — a close, nuanced, and evolving look at an organization, a culture, or a process of change. Trained as participant observers, ethnographers work from a vantage point that is both inside and outside the object of their study. As outside observers, ethnographers bring a fresh eye, professional skills of documentation and analysis, and an understanding of the unfolding work. In the words of a researcher who employs the technique, they “can explore what the people inside are taking for granted.” As inside participants, they involve themselves deeply in that work, so as to experience its detail and broad themes. This dual perspective allows a sensitive ethnographer to distill knowledge from practice in a way that’s rarely possible for full insiders or more distanced outsiders." (Page 2)