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The ALLY Foundation is an American 501(c)(3), non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts whose mission is to be a transformative and innovative force to end sexual violence by advancing evidence-based research, best practices, education, prevention and awareness to significantly improve lives.
Through its research, The ALLY Foundation has determined that only by creating a dynamic national infrastructure, implementing evidence-based practices nationally, and informing federal, state and local legislation, can repeat sex offenses be significantly reduced. In order to address the complexities of sexual violence, The ALLY Foundation will fulfill its mission by focusing its efforts on advancing evidenced based solutions, cultivating meaningful collaborative partnerships, promoting on-going evaluation and assessment and supporting policy analyses and reforms.
The ALLY Foundation will serve as a consistent resource on one of the most contentious and contested areas of public safety, and provide a national voice so that everyone will have the tools to increase their communities safety.
The ALLY Foundation was founded in December 2002 by Andrea Casanova and Steven Stiles in memory of their murdered daughter and step daughter, Alexandra Zapp (“Ally”). Ally was murdered July 18, 2002 by convicted sex offender, Paul Leahy, when she stopped to use a fast food restroom on her drive home to Newport, Rhode Island.
The Foundation is also known for its successful Flip Flop Regatta…Sail for a Change, a large sailing regatta that takes place annually outside of Boston Harbor, founded by R. Gregg Nourjian, Kelly Bresnahan, Tom Zauli and Alec Stern. The 8th Annual Flip Flop Regatta just occurred on August 13 and 14, 2010 and raised over $100,000 for The ALLY Foundation.