MARQUETTE -- The Great Lakes Center For Youth Development is teaching organizations how to write effective grant proposals. Representatives from local groups were on hand learning what it means to be grant ready. As many organizations have found out the grant application process can be complex and may not be a short-term solution to a financial problem.

"What I hear a lot from people is, 'Well we have an immediate need so we're going to go out and we're going to write a grant for that,' and grants are not a quick fix. It's a process that if you see an opportunity today, it could be four to six months before that money would actually be, if you actually were awarded that grant, would be able to use it," said Doug Russell, of Grant Writing Services.

The workshop helped the participants match their organizations goals with the right type of grant for them.