As Harvard National Campaign Chair Rita E. Hauser addressed a dinner audience at the Fogg Museum Friday evening, the building's glass ceiling began to look less imposing.

Encouraging women to make significant donations to the University through a new $15 million Women's Matching Fund, Hauser told the Harvard Forum on Women and Philanthropy that women need to "break through one of the last exclusively male domains" and understand that money means power.

The fund Hauser began--which matches dollar-for-dollar women's gifts over $25,000--is not only designed to give women an incentive to donate by doubling their gifts, but also exists to "raise consciousness" about the disparity in giving between men and women, Hauser said.

While women--through their own earnings, as well as inheritances and divorce settlements--have more money to donate than ever before, Hauser asserted that both older and younger women are "frightened and uneducated about dealing with money with a capital `M,"' and therefore do not give as much.

"Even when they are the breadwinners, women see [large donations] as a male function," Hauser said.

While she describes herself as "a very assertive, strong leader," Hauser said she recognizes that many women have trouble transcending what may be "an anthropological phenomenon."

According to several studies cited by the University Development Office, many women feel tied to the mission and programs of a fundraising drive, leaving the financial management to male counterparts.

"Many women don't understand that money connotes power...position...and significance," Hauser said. "Money is the last bastion of power."

"You don't get put on the board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art because you know a lot about Picasso," she quipped. "You get on the board because you bring a lot of money."

A strong opponent of single-sex professional associations, Hauser said while serving as an international lawyer and managing partner for the New York law firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, she did not join organizations that were limited to women.

"I didn't want to be a leader in the bar association for women," Hauser said Friday in an interview with The Crimson. "I wanted to be a leader in the bar. Let's get into the mainstream and step up."

In the realm of philanthropy, Hauser said, women need to learn they can influence issues and institutions they careabout--whether that's "lampposts or scholarships."

With the matching fund, "you can give foranything whatsoever," Hauser said. "This is not afund specifically for women; it's a fund bywomen."

The president of her family's foundation,Hauser and her husband Gustave provided Harvardwith $10 million to establish the interfacultyHauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations lastyear. The Hausers gave $13 million to the LawSchool in 1995.

"For several years, I've been thinking abouthow to encourage women to participate as majordonors," Hauser said. "Where better to do thisthan at Harvard, Where donors have the opportunityto make a significant impact with their gifts?"

While Hauser emphasized the power of the donorto fund projects he or she deems worthy, theUniversity generally encourages "unrestricted"gifts to allow administrators to point funds wherethey deem necessary.

Still, Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R.Knowles--who introduced Hauser at the Fridayevening event--said directed gifts, such as theHoughton family's recent $1.25 million donation tobegin the Harvard College Women's Initiative, "arechanging our programs already."

"I know it is always important that donors feeluplifted by what they have given for," Knowlessaid. "It's very rare that a match is not foundbetween the academic goals of the institution, andthe passion and interest of the donor."

Knowles called the matching fund--financiallysupported by five women with Harvard ties, as wellas the deans of the various faculties--"catalyticin its consequences."

The Matching Fund is a part of the University'sfive-year campaign to raise $2.1 billion by 1999.The campaign--87 percent complete as of April30--aims to add 80 positions to the faculty,modernize the computer network and libraries,complete renovations, and strengthen financial aidprograms.

--Caitlin E. Anderson contributed to thereporting of this story.