The Vines (Fall 2024)

Partner Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, a city in the Western province of Mendoza, Argentina. Our mission is to promote the capacity of our community through sustainable initiatives that improve food security, strengthen socioeconomic independence, and contribute to the holistic wellbeing of each child in our community. As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep international connections, the Foundation is leveraging its resources to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the local community. Most importantly, we are seeking to increase capacity and participation through engaging community members and organizations, local and national businesses, and the municipal government to address complex challenges. 

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Definition of Opportunity

The Vines Foundation seeks assistance in researching best practices and devising a plan to integrate our Relief Aid and Community Development efforts through the establishment of a multi-purpose community center (that might focus on nutrition, health, and education, as well as sports and recreation, as well as mental health support). This center will be a focal point for (1) relief aid outreach services and (2) community development initiatives, particularly vocational training programs for the hospitality sector. These programs will equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed for stable employment.

For the Uco Valley community, these programs represent an opportunity for economic development by creating a skilled workforce that can support and attract businesses in the hospitality industry. For the students, these programs provide a path to financial stability, career advancement, and personal growth, including essential life skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. By improving the well-being of individuals, we aim to foster a thriving and dynamic community.

Vision of Success

Through working with the Fall 2024 GAC, we hope to gain insight and devise these final deliverables:

• Based on the community assessment, define the best location(s), partners and physical components of the community center. Summarize what the community is hoping to achieve with this community center, identify risks & opportunities and list potential partners.  Provide recommendations for next steps forward.

• Based on best practice research, what community center models should be considered by the The Vines Foundation?  Identify the key factors that must be considered, possible financial resources and recommend the best next steps forward..

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

The Vines (Fall 2023)

Partner Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, a city in the Western province of Mendoza, Argentina. Our mission is to promote the capacity of our community through sustainable initiatives that improve food security, strengthen socioeconomic independence, and contribute to the holistic wellbeing of each child in our community. As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep international connections, the Foundation is leveraging its resources to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the local community. Most importantly, we are seeking to increase capacity and participation through engaging community members and organizations, local and national businesses, and the municipal government to address complex challenges. 

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Definition of Opportunity

Help the Vines Foundation research best practices and develop a general plan for a new vocational school to promote skills for community members and connect them with local economic opportunities.The Uco Valley is witnessing exponential growth in the tourism industry. Despite this, there is a shortage of workers for hotels, wineries and restaurants, and at the same time there are many in our community who don't have the necessary skills to get good jobs in the hospitality industry.

The Foundation is exploring the creation of a school focused on providing high-quality hospitality training to members of the local community — helping build the necessary skills and experience to secure good jobs in local hotels and restaurants, including The Vines. The programs would be designed to provide comprehensive training in various aspects of hospitality, including customer service, food preparation, housekeeping, and management. We will provide hands-on training, internships, guidance, and mentorship to ensure that community members gain mindsets and practical skills that can get them good jobs.

For the Uco Valley community, these programs provide an avenue for economic growth by producing a skilled workforce that can attract and sustain businesses in the hospitality industry. For graduates of these programs there will be a path to financial stability and career advancement. Additionally, we hope our programs can provide opportunities for personal growth and development, as participants gain valuable life skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

Vision of Success

Through working with the Fall 2023 DAT, we hope to gain insight and devise these final deliverables:

Based on the community assessment, define the overall market and potential for a hospitality vocational school. List the risks, opportunities and potential corporate partners. Share the information on the skills that are most in demand in the area, and best ways to build those skills in the local community.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

The Vines Fall 2023 Deliverable by Joseph Drey on Scribd

The Vines (Spring 2023)

Building capacity and sustainable development in Mendoza, Argentina

Partner Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, a city in the Western province of Mendoza, Argentina. Our mission is to promote the capacity of our community through sustainable initiatives that improve food security, strengthen socioeconomic independence, and contribute to the holistic wellbeing of each child in our community. As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep international connections, the Foundation is leveraging its resources to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the local community. Most importantly, we are seeking to increase capacity and participation through engaging community members and organizations, local and national businesses, and the municipal government to address complex challenges. 

Definition of Opportunity

We seek to communicate through our work the importance of accompaniment and co-creation, in which we see our community members as partners who are the first and best teachers capable of enacting change and creating opportunities for their families and neighborhoods. 

For the Spring of 2023, The Vines Foundation is partnered with the University of Notre Dame Development Advisory Teams (DAT) to explore strategies for turning community kitchens (comedores) into community spaces that become hubs where the community can find connection, take advantage of recreational and educational activities, seek assistance, and take ownership of the comedor’s direction. 

During 2023, we aim to:

• Work with comedor leaders to create and implement workshops on girls’ and women’s empowerment, education, nutrition, and mental health. Embed strategies for encouraging parents’ participation in the workshops and in the comedor more generally.

• Outline a program of hands-on volunteer experiences and workshops for employees and vineyard owners to connect with the work of The Vines Foundation.

• Identify and provide wellness, recreational, and educational resources and opportunities for The Vines employees, from seasonal laborers to year-round staff, that they identify as being beneficial to their wellbeing.

Definition of Success

Through working with a Spring 2023 DAT, we hope to generate interest, excitement and actions in support of The Vines Foundation.  We define success as effectively and sustainably increasing community participation and receiving positive feedback from community members on the programs and opportunities that we work with various stakeholders and community leaders to provide.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

Final Deliverable Vines F23 by Joseph Drey on Scribd

The Vines (Fall 2022)

Project Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, a city in the West of the province of Mendoza, Argentina, exploring ways to empower our community to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardship, as well as promote sustainable livelihoods. As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep connections to international resources through our clients in the US, Europe, and Brazil, the Foundation is leveraging these resources to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the local community. Most importantly, we are building capacity within our community and the organizations we work with, and seeking to engage community members and organizations, local and national businesses, and the municipal government to address complex challenges. 

Definition of Opportunity

In the fall of 2021, and in the spring of 2022, the Vines Foundation partnered with the University of Notre Dame Development Advisory Teams (DAT) to create a strategic and inspirational mission and vision statement for the Foundation, which will serve as guiding principles for the foundation as it expands its community work. We seek to communicate through our work the importance of accompaniment and co-creation, in which we see our community members as partners who are the first and best teachers capable of enacting change and creating opportunities for their families and neighborhoods. Working together with the community and the DAT, we developed strategies to bring together an effective working/community group of local leaders to guide the development process.

Currently, the community engagement efforts of the Foundation are structured around:

Engaging in co-creative efforts to realize sustainable projects in the community.

Maintaining and developing relationships with community members to strengthen a chain of transparent communication and feedback throughout project development and implementation.

Creating a network of local and regional organizations and businesses to partner with the comedores to allow for simultaneous investment in capacity-building and increased community independence. Develop best practices for increasing presence of Social Corporate Responsibility (RSE) in alliance’s work.

Currently, the project-based efforts of the Foundation are structured around:

Providing food weekly to the comedores (soup kitchens) of Tunuyan, which serve as community spaces where children can receive meals during the week and interact with each other.

Increasing comedor capacity through workshops and educational and recreational opportunities to be held on-site.

Developing a community garden at 3 different comedores, which will serve as a pilot project for the community to grow in independence and learn new skills.

Maintaining a dog refuge/shelter on property grounds to care for, vaccinate, and facilitate adoption for stray dogs. We are also seeking to evaluate resource dedication towards facilitating spaying/neutering for street dogs in the community

Definition of Success

Through working with a fall 2022 DAT, we hope to generate interest, excitement and actions in support of The Vines Foundation.  We plan to firmly establish the base for expansion and replication of our successful projects and develop strategies to increase the monetary and non-monetary resources and capacities of the foundation.  

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

The Vines Fall 2022 Final Deliverable by Joseph Drey on Scribd

The Vines (Spring 2022)

Project Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, Mendoza, exploring ways to empower our community to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardship, as well as promote sustainable livelihoods. As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep connections to international resources through our clients in the US, Europe and Brazil, The Vines Foundation is leveraging these resources to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the local community. Most important, we are building capacity within our community and the organizations we work with, and seeking to engage community members and organizations,  local and national businesses, along with the government to solve complex challenges.

Definition of Opportunity

In the fall 2021, for the first time, the Vines Foundation partnered with a DAT to begin to create a strategic and inspirational mission and vision statement for the Foundation, which will serve as the foundation expands its community work for at least the next decade.  We hope that two of the students that worked on the project, Lucie Kneip (lkneip@nd.edu) and Carson Krol (ckrol@nd.edu), will continue to be engaged with the DAT this spring and as interns this summer at The Vines in Mendoza.

As a next step, we want to expand on the work completed to identify solid guiding principles, and meaningfully engage prospective donors and partners to unite a force for good. In the end, we want to become a model for sustainable development upon which others can base their initiatives to effectively serve the needs of the broader region and country of Argentina.

 During 2022, we aim to move from the mission and vision development phase to the execution phase by:

·  Creating a structure and strategies to bring together an effective working/community group of local leaders guiding the development process and creating goals; and an advisory board of donors and global stakeholders.

·  Developing a strategy to continue to support the 10 community kitchens we have been helping and a plan to transition that support into a more sustainable operation, likely by bringing in partners from the community and region.

·  Outlining a plan to evaluate the feasibility of, and if it is feasible, implement the “Rosario project” of community development in Tunuyan.

· Creating a best practices document for the dog rescue shelter at The Vines, and the evaluation of a mobile spay/neuter clinic.

Definition of Success

Through the work with a spring 2022 DAT, we hope to generate interest, excitement and actions in support of The Vines Foundation. This might include providing hands-on volunteer experiences for individuals to become connected to the mission of The Vines Foundation.  We plan to move from the theoretical to the execution stage, developing the initial parts of a strategic plan.  We will build on initial dialogues with members of the local community that DAT members carried out to explore further opportunities for becoming an incubator of new thoughts, strategies and methods to identify and solve the ever-changing needs of the local community.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

The Vines [Food Security] (Fall 2021)

Project Background

 Valle de Uco (Uco Valley) is an agricultural region southwest of Mendoza, Argentina. Despite Argentina being a strong agricultural exporter, extreme food insecurity in the country. Roughly 60% of Argentinian children were living in poverty when the second wave of Covid-19 infections struck. 40 percent of children in Argentina suffer from malnutrition. 

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for change in Tunuyan, Mendoza, empowering our community to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardship so they might regain sustainable livelihoods. As the philanthropic arm of an Argentine farming, winemaking, and hospitality company with deep connections to international resources through our clients in the US, Europe, and Brazil, The Vines Foundation is leveraging these resources to meet the immediate local challenge of food insecurity, feeding about 1,000 children each month who otherwise go hungry. Most importantly, however, we are building capacity within our community and the organizations we work with, and seeking to engage local and national businesses, along with the government to solve this crisis of being an agriculturally rich county in which many of its children are starving, and thereby sacrificing their future. 

Definition of Opportunity

 The Vines Foundation is interested in partnering with DAT to explore building new skills and capacities for solving food insecurity in the agriculturally rich Uco Valley as a pilot project. We hope that initial success in the Uco Valley could be replicated first throughout the province of Mendoza and then potentially have an impact across Argentina. 

Definition of Success

Generate a clear understanding of the scope of hunger in the Uco Valley, including detailed data to be able to share with policymakers, community leaders, and donors. 

Identify advocacy and legislative opportunities to incentivize food donations. 

Determine the feasibility of an Urban Agriculture Program whereby donated land could be farmed, creating jobs and food for the community, or other creative opportunities for development that address issues of chronic hunger, malnutrition, and underemployment.  

Meet the Team

The Vines [Strategy] (Fall 2021)

Project Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, Mendoza, empowering our community to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardship, as well as promote sustainable livelihoods. 

As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep connections to international resources through our clients in the US, Europe and Brazil, The Vines Foundation is leveraging these resources to meet the immediate and long term needs of the local community. Most importantly, however, we are building capacity within our community and the organizations we work with, and seeking to engage local and national businesses, along with the government to solve complex challenges. 

Definition of Opportunity

 The Vines Foundation is interested in partnering with DAT to create a strategic and inspirational mission and vision statement, which will serve as the foundation for our community work for at least the next decade. We will also identify solid guiding principles, and meaningfully engage prospect donors and partners to unite a force for good. 

Definition of Success

Generate interest, excitement and action in support of The Vines Foundation. Provide hands-on volunteer experiences for individuals to become connected to the mission of The Vines Foundation. 

Be an incubator of new thoughts, strategies and methods to identify and solve the ever-changing needs of the local community. Become a model upon which others can base their initiatives to effectively serve the needs of the broader region and country of Argentina. 

Meet the Team

Ethical Leadership Development - Centro de Investigación y Acción Social (Spring 2013)

Client Profile

Centro de Investigación y Acción Social is a non-profit organization founded by the Jesuits in Argentina that aspires to build a leadership Institute in Buenos Aires that contributes to building fairer and more developed societies in Latin America, while promoting stable democracies and politicians who serve the common good. Its mission is to train a new generation of political leaders committed to the common good and Christian values. One of its goals is to help construct a community of policymakers and politicians worldwide who share common values and see politics as a way to improve people’s lives. CIAS seeks to build a community of successful and experienced politicians who have a record of ethical conduct, and build bridges to young politicians who want to develop a career in the service of the common good.

See all Development Advisory Team projects with Centro de Investigación y Acción Social

Definition of Problem

From a foundation of excellent academic research on Latin America’s most pressing economic and political challenges, CIAS seeks to expand its work to provide effective training for current and future politicians. One possible model for training politicians seeking a more just society would be to provide university-backed graduate courses and seminars in CIAS’s areas of expertise. Key concepts to address would be:

• Bridging the gap between academic research and the world of active politicians

• Identifying best practices and successful training programs for politicians

• Determining who should participate, how to recruit participants, how to form the training program