Although the literature on institutional civic engagement within higher education is quite extensive, the community perspective on such endeavors remains an underdeveloped area of study. This is particularly true of outreach programs emanating from the university intended to support college preparation of underrepresented students. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivations of high school professionals for participating in university outreach programs, and to understand how these individuals view their partnerships with higher education at a time when public funding for education at all levels is under siege. Moving beyond partnership models that strictly focus on one organization's need for resources from the other, the findings here point to civic interdependence as the lens by which we can understand community partners' reasons for collaborating with higher education institutions.