I suggest to look at Quintuple Helix Model which, indeed, is applied for innovation, but the same components may interplay in the model of relations as well.

Originally, universities were sort of producing groups of educated individuals, based on the society's level of needs in variety of avenues (supplly & demand). Gradually, universities coverage-policy changed from domestic needs to international and global ones. In current contemporary system, abundance of focal points and Majors of studies are way above the real-life needs of a society; also, unexperienced emotions in early legal-ages pushes students to follow their dreams,in which is not always parallel with the supply& demand. As a result, changeing their major of study, and large digits of student-loans has become a part of new generations' daily challenging task, to work in hard minimom-jobs; drive the oldest cars around, and live-in with multiple- roomates, although this is a self- conflicted issue with the famous concept of  "I want to stand on my own feet" (low cost & higher flow for educational institutes in majority of capitalist systems).   

I write from a practical, not a theoretical point of view.  Having worked in a University set up for more than 15 years while at the same time operating in an NGO environment I want to suggest there is wide scope in having a mutual relationship between NGOs and Universities. My simple analysis drives me to conclude that the NGO offers Universities a practical, testing ground, laboratory you name it for putting theory into practice. The NGO also referred in some instance as civil society either becomes the fourth actor in addition to the University - state  market relationship or could be part of the"market" 

I would generally agree with Oswald Dirwayi as posted.  There are many opportunities for useful collaboration and partnership between the academic world and community organizations.  Some include policy placements for internships, modifying or updating curriculum to meet community needs, and community involvement in research efforts and/or policy analysis.  Generally (in my experience) these the relationships with the community organizations or their umbrella organizations will be with individual academics or teams of academics, rather than with the academic institution.  However an essential part of building partnerships may be working within the academic institutions to develop rules and procedures that support meaningful community engagement.

In my recent book, that chapters on South Africa have a discussion NGOs that are housed at universities, particularly law schools. These democratization NGOs most often work on human rights.  I did not find that this pattern was common in the two other countries I studied- Argentina and Tajikistan. See www.importingdemocracy.org