In today's resource-scarce environment, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and health science disciplines must partner with institutional advancement offices to support two key components of research universities--research and graduate education. Framing the partnership in terms of societal needs helps advancement officers to attract resources to support important research and graduate education. Drawing on the collaborative process employed within STEM and health science colleges at the University of Minnesota, this paper outlines a framework for building and supporting new types of partnerships that benefit both society and universities' graduate research and education missions.