Danny Wulff sets the stage for his two-year chairmanship at The Harvest Foundation
Getting comfortable in his role as chairman of The Harvest Foundation Board of Directors, Danny Wulff is focused on the foundation remaining a catalyst for long-term growth and sustainable change in Martinsville-Henry County.
“When I started as a director at Harvest, I thought it would just be us (Harvest) leading this community to what’s next,” Wulff said. “But what I realized first is for change to be sustainable, we have to walk that path with someone else. It’s in our values — we never walk alone. It’s a long journey, and we need our community buying into the change we all want to see.”
Martinsville and Henry County being a community of choice — a place where people want to live, work, and raise families — is a priority for Wulff. Investing in critical areas like housing works toward that ultimate goal.
“What’s bubbled up for me has been housing. I think all roads are pointing us there at this moment,” he said. “Investing today for what’s coming next sets us up for the long term. Sustainable change won’t happen overnight. Across the years and across generations, you’ll begin to see a different Martinsville-Henry County. Just in my time being here, it’s changed a lot.”
Wulff describes looking back on Martinsville in 2009. Seeing record unemployment upwards of 22 percent, shuttering businesses, and people moving away.
“When I arrived here, things were messy,” he said. “I have friends who have since moved away who will visit, and say they see that things are happening here now. Maybe all of us don’t see or realize it. We are moving the needle, and we’re beginning to see the impacts of that. Some of this work just takes so long. You have to look at it in terms of years and decades.”
Encouraging creativity and strategic thinking across the organization gives Harvest an opportunity for even greater problem-solving throughout the community, Wulff said. He encourages everyone to consistently ask themselves:
- Are we doing the right work?
- Is this truly having an impact?
- Are there more innovative ways to solve community challenges?
Project Hope is a consistent reminder of that creativity on display, Wulff said.
“We stumbled upon a bit of magic, I think, with community engagement and Project Hope,” he added.
“I think in the past, we didn’t truly understand the powerful impact of community voice. We didn’t understand the power of true community engagement. I feel that our current strategic plan is the most involved the community has ever been in how Harvest works within Martinsville-Henry County.”
Wulff attended the 2024 Project Hope Grantee Celebration at the Bassett Train Station Event Center. He said it was one of those impactful moments that stuck with him.
“People really care a lot about what happens in our community,” he said. “When you look at the numbers, Project Hope and the Harvest Youth Board are fairly small investments. But when you look at empowering people and giving them a platform, those initiatives are some of the most impactful investments we make at The Harvest Foundation. They’re not waiting on Harvest to help. They’re going after what needs to be done, and Harvest offers support and resources for them to be successful.”
The Harvest Foundation’s North Star is Hope, which is a word Wulff said he thinks about a lot as it relates to tools we need to have hope for the future and to know that something better is coming. He said he also thinks about the word pride and what it means for the community.
“I want people to be proud to live in Martinsville-Henry County,” he said. “I think one of our jobs is to restore pride. It’s making strategic partnerships for the right opportunities and giving people the opportunity to choose. Because it is a choice. I don’t want people being left behind because they didn’t have the opportunity. Living here, living in a small town is personal. When you make a grant to a local nonprofit, you see them in the grocery store or in other places. That’s what makes this work even more important. It’s not just granting money. It’s personal, it’s building relationships.”
As he leads the Board of Directors over the next two years, Wulff is focused on setting the stage for what’s next — not just for Harvest, but for the entire community. He understands that the work being done today may not fully bear fruit for years to come, but he’s committed to ensuring that Martinsville-Henry County is positioned for a thriving future ahead.
“Ultimately, when you invest nine or 10 years in an organization, you want to know that you left it better than you found it,” Wulff said. “You want to know that you offered your skills, abilities, and talents to the community and led your organization to a better place. For me, this is an opportunity to lead and use what God’s given me.”
