During the past decade, words and phrases like "engagement," "reciprocity," and "building a two-way street" have been scattered throughout speeches and literature calling for colleges and universities to develop more mutually beneficial relationships with their surrounding communities. The purpose of this article is to advance a model for understanding the challenges and opportunities for building community-university partnerships that are embedded in the values of reciprocity and engagement. This model is advanced through an analysis of knowledge flow theory and case studies of community-university partnerships at two land-grant universities. The core concepts of the model focus on breaking down knowledge flow barriers, building capacity for university-community engagement, and identifying motivators to promote engagement initiatives.