During a White House gathering of representatives of nonprofit programs all around the U.S., President Barack Obama praised grassroots organizations for a job well done and vowed governmental support for their efforts.

“Solutions to America’s challenges are being developed every day at the grassroots. And government shouldn’t be supplanting those efforts, it should be supporting those efforts,” Obama told over 100 members of the nonprofit community.

Obama made these remarks after the project presentations of four nonprofits – Bonnie CLAC (Car Loans and Counseling), a New Hampshire organization that helps people own fuel-efficient, reliable and low-cost vehicles; Harlem Children’s Zone, which helps children acquire a good education; Genesys Works, a Houston-based nonprofit that trains and assists low-income high school students get entry-level work in major corporations; and HopeLab, a California program that helps chronically ill young people.

Obama called on big business, foundations and philanthropists to become involved in what he calls a “new kind of partnership between government and the nonprofit sector.”

“If we work together, if we go all-in here, think about the difference we can make,” the President added.

He pledged his administration’s support for grassroots initiatives, citing two examples that have already been included in the economic stimulus package: the $650-million “What Works” fund launched by the Education Department that will be invested in high schools and communities; and a new project by the Health and Human Services Department that will send nurses and health care professionals to provide services to troubled homes.

Mr. Obama has recently signed into law a $50-million Social Innovation Fund which is managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This fund will provide financial support to community nonprofit organizations. He announced that White House officials, led by domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes, will comb the country in search of the “the most promising nonprofits in America” that will be awarded grants.

Tags: Barack Obama, non-profit