In the Season 1 finale of Making a Ruckus, Tracey O’Neill reflects on one of the most overlooked moments in volunteer engagement: what happens when volunteering ends.

Too often, the end of a volunteer role is treated as an administrative exit — rosters updated, keys returned, surveys sent, and relationships quietly closed. But what if this moment holds more possibility than we realise?

In this episode, Tracey explores why the way organisations approach the end of volunteering can either weaken or deepen connection. Drawing on a community-centred lens, she invites listeners to reconsider “exit” and to imagine what becomes possible when relationships are stewarded with care, curiosity, and intention.

This conversation isn’t about expecting lifelong service. It’s about recognising that when people feel welcomed, valued, listened to, and part of meaningful change, their connection doesn’t simply disappear when a role finishes — it evolves.

When volunteering ends, the relationship doesn’t have to.

Stay bold, stay curious — and keep making a ruckus.

Connect:

• Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠⁠
• Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠
• Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@tracey.oneill.cva⁠⁠⁠
• Follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting

For our very first interview on Making a Ruckus, I’m joined by someone who has shaped the thinking of volunteer engagement professionals around the world for more than 30 years — Rob Jackson.

In this wide-ranging and deeply energising conversation, we look back at three decades of volunteer engagement:
what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what still desperately needs a rethink.

Rob reflects on the biggest shifts he’s seen — the hopeful ones and the uncomfortable ones — and together we unpack some of the assumptions, biases, and long-running debates that continue to hold our sector back.

We dive into:

• The myths and mental models that refuse to die

• Why some conversations from the 90s are still happening today

• What volunteer involvement could look like if we stopped trying to fit people into outdated boxes

• The risks and possibilities of AI for our field

Rob also reads his powerful reflection Stewards of Hope — a moment that will stay with you long after the episode ends.

And we debut the Ruckus Round, a rapid-fire set of questions that invites Rob to share what he’s rethinking, what he’s wrestling with, and the one ruckus he believes we must still make.

If you’re ready for a conversation that honours where we’ve been and challenges where we’re heading, this episode is for you.

Stay bold, stay curious — and keep making a ruckus.

Mention:

• Rob Jackson Consulting website
• Rob Jackson's podcast; Advancing the Profession
• Rob Jackson Consulting's blog
• Rob's LinkedIn reflection; Stewards of Hope
• Rob's blog post: Three reasons why it's time to stop talking about amateurs and professionals
• Engage Journal
• Rahim Hirji's newsletter, Box of Amazing

Connect:

• Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠⁠
• Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠
• Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@tracey.oneill.cva⁠⁠⁠
• Follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting

This year’s International Volunteer Day launches the 2026 UN International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development — and there has never been a more important time to rethink how we recognise and value volunteers.

In this episode, Tracey O’Neill flips the script on traditional volunteer appreciation. Instead of asking “How do we thank volunteers for what they do?”, she asks the bigger question:

“How do we honour who volunteers are — and the strengths they bring that shape culture, community and impact?”

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience, Tracey introduces her Four Pillars of Volunteer Appreciation — Recognition, Reward, Participation and Progression — and explores how leaders of volunteer engagement can move beyond morning teas and certificates to activate strengths, shift systems and influence organisational culture.

She unpacks how Participation and Progression aren’t just ways to value volunteers, but powerful practices that position leaders of volunteer engagement as cultural leaders — shaping belonging, voice, inclusion and leadership across the organisation.

Here’s the shift we’ve been waiting for: seeing volunteer engagement as culture work, not administrative work.

If we want a more inclusive, equitable, community-centred future, then Participation and Progression must sit at the heart of our recognition practices.

If you’re ready to shift from “thank-you strategies” to practices that elevate voice, leadership and belonging, this episode will spark new ways of thinking.

Every contribution matters. Every contribution begins with strengths. And recognition is only the beginning.

Stay bold, stay curious — and keep making a ruckus.

Connect:

• Learn more: ⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠
• Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠
• Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠@tracey.oneill.cva⁠⁠
• Follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting