Cockayne is a private foundation based in San Francisco with a special interest in supporting the arts in London. It is one of the successor foundations of Columbia Foundation, a ground-breaking philanthropic foundation founded along enlightened principles in 1940 by Madeleine Haas Russell, mother of the current President of Cockayne, and Madeleine’s brother, William Haas:
True to Madeleine Haas Russell’s belief that young people can best discern the priorities of their time, in 2013 Columbia Foundation’s assets were divided between three successor family foundations designed to involve the next generations in giving. Cockayne was set up at this time with the express purpose of carrying forward Columbia Foundation’s commitment to make a difference for the good, with special focus on how this is achievable in the arts.