Flames Football star Austin Henderson starts faith-based nonprofit for middle and high school youth

Flames Football tight end Austin Henderson had the unique opportunity to talk to fellow Liberty University business students last week about his new nonprofit, Reap the Harvest Foundation, a faith-based organization that empowers middle and high schoolers with the Gospel through the sport of football.

The 22-year-old senior is pursuing his degree in Business Administration: Entrepreneurship. As a guest speaker in BUSI 409, Nonprofit Management & Governance on Sept. 9, Henderson shared his journey of starting a nonprofit, managing funds, and how he juggles his responsibilities between Division 1 football, classwork, and his organization.

“When God puts something on your heart, just go and trust that He will figure it out,” he told the class. “God can’t steer your ship if you’re not moving. He can’t be the rudder of your ship if you’re not moving.”

The class is part of a new Nonprofit Management area of study with the School of Business and is taught by assistant professor Kristin Boyce, director of Liberty’s Center for Entrepreneurship.

“I always like to bring in nonprofit guest speakers to share more about their journey, whether they have founded a nonprofit or if they are running a nonprofit,” Boyce said. “I have had a variety of guests, including some local, some who run very large national nonprofits, and even a few international ones. The students love hearing from the variety.”

Reap the Harvest Foundation, which officially launched earlier this year, is an outreach nonprofit that uses football to minister to ages 8-17. Events feature games, food, Gospel presentations from guest speakers, inflatables, football drills, and worship.

The organization hosted over 250 children at its inaugural event in April at the Liberty Indoor Practice Facility. Among the 65 volunteers were several of Henderson’s teammates. He said the event was an opportunity to be a spiritual influence on the next generation.

“I know that there are a lot of kids in the world who don’t have a positive influence for Christ,” said Henderson. “And I know that the harvest is plentiful. (The kids’) hearts are ready for God to move. They just need vessels to come in and serve, give, and show what a great example you can be. We want to be that vessel.”

Monday’s class ended with a Q&A segment, where Henderson discussed his experience in fundraising, crafting his organization’s leadership hierarchy, and the legal process of earning 501(c)(3) status.

“The hardest part about starting a business is starting the business,” he told students. “When God presents an opportunity, when the door opens, go through the door. So many people get held back by the fear of failure.”

Henderson transferred to Liberty from the University of Minnesota in 2021. He said being on Liberty Mountain has further shaped his ministry vision for Reap the Harvest.

“Liberty has such an impact on my life,” he said. “When I came here, it honestly felt like heaven. The mission, what it stands for, and how they walk that out daily, have been such a blessing. … All of this has been foundational for me, and we wanted to take that and honor that by training other people to be Champions for Christ.”

“I love that he came back to share, not only as a former student of mine but someone who is seen around campus and on the field,” Boyce said. “The students loved hearing from him. Many of them thanked me on the way out … I loved hearing his heart behind his efforts, and he truly gives God all the glory. He has a bright future ahead, and I can’t wait to see how he grows Reap the Harvest.”

Henderson’s next Reap the Harvest event is a Fall Formal on Oct. 26 (location TBD) with music, line dancing, games, and raffle prizes. The event will raise funds for future projects. Donations can be submitted through the organization’s gift portal.