The comma is not necessary between the two clauses, but (as FumbleFingers says) it is preferred when it improves readability, which is usually when the first ...
You are correct in putting a comma there. This is because "To further..." is a separate clause. Another example is "In order that we gain a greater ...
Commas almost always follow phrases at the beginning of sentences; use the comma to separate the phrase from the independent clause. This ...
Consider the below examples of sentences containing properly placed and omitted commas: Short prepositional phrase: Before the movie starts let's get some ...
They can be made into one compound sentence with a comma and one of
When you want to use commas and semicolons in sentences and when you are concerned about whether a sentence is or is not a fragment, a good way to start ...
However, a comma is needed when a sentence begins with a dependent clause ... Some sentences open with a word or group of words in order to provide more ...
is serving as the subject of the sentence or if the sentence uses inverted word order.
... insert a comma before a phrase or clause that begins with because
The sentence has ended, and a new sentence will begin.