This book considers the historical roots of university-community engagement in the US context, outlines four case studies on community-university partnerships and includes an analytic section comparing the case studies and making several recommendations. The recommendations are largely focused on institution-wide policy amendments needed to support partnership (e.g. funding, tenure). The author identities several factors, key to the success of community-university partnerships: the type of post-secondary institution, historical relationship between the partners, power relations between the institution and the community, the availability of external funding, the capacity of community based institutions and governing structures, the institutional cultural of the college or university, the institutional commitment of the college or university, the backgrounds and demographics of both community and institution.