This study proposes a new giving behavior model for higher education institutions (HEI), featuring alumni connectedness as a primary predictor. This contrasts with previous studies that measured variables that showed an inconsistent influence as predictors of alumni's desire to contribute. Alumni connectedness, built from socio-psychological literature, is a multidimensional variable that can capture the complexity of the alumni-university relationship. Connectedness consists of relatability, dependency and a sense of community, which combine students' experiences with university services while at university and afterward This research utilized an online survey that yielded 642 usable responses to validate the model. The model testing results indicate that connectedness significantly influences alumni's intentions to contribute. Extending relationship marketing principles, this model may assist in restructuring alumni databases by classifying different degrees of alumni connectedness. The differences in connectedness level can help design more contextual alumni marketing programs.