Obama lauds non-profits' inventive spirit

WASHINGTON, June 30 (UPI) -- Foundations, philanthropists and other non-profits were challenged by President Barack Obama to invest in community solutions across the United States.

"Solutions to America's challenges are being developed every day at the grass roots," Obama said. "And government shouldn't be supplanting those efforts, it should be supporting those efforts."

He also told his Domestic Policy Council director, Melody Barnes, to find and fund "the very best" non-profits across the United States.

"We won't be just be looking at the usual suspects in the usual places," he said. "(We) also want to find those hidden gems that haven't yet gotten the attention they deserve."

Federal officials will "test promising approaches to see what works and what doesn't," Obama said, representing a new kind of partnership between the government and the non-profit sector.

"But I can tell you right now, that partnership isn't complete and it won't be successful without help from the private sector," Obama said. "And that's why I'm glad that there are some deep pockets in the audience here."

Government can evaluate solutions non-profits offer and can offer some investment for ones that work, he said, "but we need those of you from the private sector to step up as well. We need you to provide that critical seed capital to launch these ideas. We need you to provide those matching funds to help them grow."