Making a Ruckus

Tracey O'Neill
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Volunteering is changing — and bold leaders are rising to shift the system. Hosted by Tracey O’Neill — visionary consultant, mentor, trainer, and unapologetic disruptor — Making a Ruckus shakes up how we understand volunteering, leadership, and community. More than a podcast, it’s a movement to challenge old systems, measure what matters, and lead with courage, care, and connection.

  1. MAR 24

    Volunteer Love Languages: Designing Belonging

    Over the past couple of months on Making a Ruckus, I’ve been exploring volunteer engagement through the lens of Volunteer Love Languages.   Not to label people.   But to notice something that doesn’t always get talked about.   That people don’t just volunteer in different ways — they experience volunteering differently.   And that shapes what keeps them there.   Some people stay because they can contribute.Some stay because they feel seen.Some stay because of the connection.Some stay because they have something that reminds them of what they’ve done.Some stay because the space feels warm, human… like they belong.   In this final episode, I bring all five love languages together and explore what they reveal about the volunteer experience — and why paying attention to this can help you create environments where more people feel connected, valued and able to stay.   If you’ve been listening along, this episode will help you see the full picture.   If you’re new, it’s a great place to start — and then go back and explore each episode in the series. Be Bold. Stay Curious. Keep making a Ruckus. Connect: Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tracey.volunteerengagement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting⁠⁠

    14 min

  2. MAR 18

    Physical Touch in Volunteer Engagement: When Care is Felt, Not Just Done

    Physical touch is one of the most misunderstood — and often avoided — aspects of volunteer engagement. In professional settings, it raises important questions about boundaries, safety, and risk.So many organisations respond by removing it altogether. But what gets lost when we do that? In this episode, Tracey explores the love language of Physical Touch — not as something to apply, but as a way of understanding how some volunteers express care, offer reassurance, and create a sense of safety for others. This conversation moves beyond touch itself, and into something deeper:presence, human connection, and care that is experienced — not just delivered. We’ll explore: • Why physical touch can feel uncomfortable in volunteer settings• What science tells us about touch, connection, and the nervous system• The difference between physical touch and embodied presence• How trauma-informed practice and consent shape safe interactions• How to recognise volunteers who bring warmth and emotional awareness• The hidden emotional labour of presence-based roles• How to create environments that balance connection with clear boundaries This episode invites leaders to reconsider what professionalism looks like — and what might be lost when warmth and connection is removed in the name of safety. Because sometimes the most powerful thing a volunteer offers…is simply being there. Be Bold. Stay Curious. Keep making a Ruckus. Connect: Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tracey.volunteerengagement⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting⁠⁠

    27 min

  3. MAR 10

    Receiving Gifts in Volunteer Engagement: When Appreciation Becomes Something You Can Hold Onto

    Receiving Gifts is often the volunteer love language that makes organisations the most uncomfortable. Volunteering is frequently framed as altruistic — something people do without expecting anything in return. Because of this, tangible gestures of appreciation can feel unnecessary, or they become standardised tokens given to everyone. But what if gifts aren’t really about the object at all? In this episode of Making a Ruckus, Tracey explores Receiving Gifts as a volunteer love language — and how tangible symbols can help people hold onto moments of contribution, recognition and belonging. Drawing on stories from practice, including a powerful moment with a volunteer named Rae, this episode explores: why gifts can feel complicated in volunteer cultures how tangible gestures anchor memories of contribution the difference between generic recognition and meaningful symbols how policies and fairness can unintentionally make appreciation feel impersonal ways leaders can design recognition that reinforces belonging rather than branding Because sometimes the most meaningful gift isn’t what it costs. It’s what it represents. Be Bold. Stay Curious. Keep making a Ruckus. Connect: Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tracey.volunteerengagement⁠⁠⁠Follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting⁠

    24 min

  4. MAR 4

    Quality Time in Volunteer Engagement: When Presence Builds Belonging

    When the Moments Between the Tasks Matter Most Some volunteers stay because of the moments between the tasks. For volunteers who value Quality Time, shared experience isn’t a bonus — it’s what gives volunteering meaning. Not every volunteer role naturally includes long conversations or team bonding. And this episode isn’t about adding hours to your already busy schedule as a leader of volunteers. This episode is about attention. It’s about how time is structured, who it’s shared with, and what our patterns of presence quietly communicate. In this episode, we explore: What Quality Time really means in volunteer engagementWhere it exists in volunteer rolesWhere it must be intentionally designedWhat happens when connection slowly fades awayThe difference between availability and presenceHow small, structured choices protect share experiencesWhy protecting these moments strengthens volunteer retention and sustainability Volunteering can be organised, efficient and well-managed…and still make people feel disconnected. Efficiency keeps programs running. Quality Time keeps people staying. Be Bold. Stay Curious. Keep making a Ruckus. Connect: Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tracey.volunteerengagement⁠⁠Follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting

    18 min

  5. FEB 24

    Words of Affirmation in Volunteer Engagement: When “Thank You” Isn’t Enough

    When Being Seen Is More Than Being Thanked Leaders of volunteer engagement are often excellent at recognition.   We say thank you. We run awards nights. We celebrate National Volunteer Week.   But for some volunteers, “thank you” isn’t the thing they’re listening for.   They’re listening for indicators that they belong. They want to understand the difference they make. They want to know where they fit. They want to hear their contribution named in a way that strengthens belonging.   In this episode, we explore: Why generic gratitude can feel hollowThe difference between appreciation and affirmationHow to recognise volunteers who value Words of AffirmationWhat it looks like to build a culture of noticing — not just recognition eventsHow affirmation strengthens psychological safety, retention, and sustainabilityThe kids of volunteer roles that might appeal to those who value Words of Affirmation Words of Affirmation is the easiest love language to attend to.   It’s also the easiest to dilute. Because when contribution isn’t clearly visible, belonging becomes fragile.   This episode isn’t about praising volunteers more.   It’s about making volunteer contribution visible — consistently, specifically, and culturally.   Be Bold. Stay Curious. Keep making a ruckus. Connect: Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@tracey.volunteerengagement⁠Follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting

    17 min

  6. FEB 17

    Acts of Service in Volunteer Engagement

    Rethinking "It's Always the Same People" In this episode of Making a Ruckus, we explore Acts of Service as a volunteer love language — and what it means for leaders of volunteer engagement and volunteer management. If you've ever said, "It's always the same people who step up," this episode is for you. Some volunteers express care and commitment through actin. They respond quickly, thrive in urgency, and feel most connected when they are useful. But there's an important distinction between willingness and endless capacity — and many volunteer systems unintentionally reward over-giving. In this episode we discuss: Why urgency activates certain volunteersThe difference between reliability and resilience in volunteer leadershipHow volunteer engagement systems can reward availability over sustainabilitySigns of burnout in highly reliable volunteersPractical strategies for designing volunteer roles without creating dependency This episode is for volunteer managers, leaders of volunteer engagement, nonprofit leaders, and anyone responsible for volunteer retention and sustainability. The goal isn't to stop volunteers from stepping up. It's to ensure stepping up remains a choice — not an expectation. Be Bold. Stay Curious. Keep making a ruckus. Connect: Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@tracey.volunteerengagement⁠Follow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting

    32 min

  7. 2025-12-16

    When Volunteering Ends

    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.au⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@tracey.volunteerengagementFollow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting

    20 min
  8. Rob Jackson: Three Decades In — Still Making a Ruckus

    2025-12-09

    Rob Jackson: Three Decades In — Still Making a Ruckus

    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 websiteRob Jackson's podcast; Advancing the ProfessionRob Jackson Consulting's blogRob's LinkedIn reflection; Stewards of HopeRob's blog post: Three reasons why it's time to stop talking about amateurs and professionalsEngage JournalRahim Hirji's newsletter, Box of AmazingConnect: Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@tracey.volunteerengagementFollow on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠Tracey O'Neill Consulting

    55 min
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About

Volunteering is changing — and bold leaders are rising to shift the system. Hosted by Tracey O’Neill — visionary consultant, mentor, trainer, and unapologetic disruptor — Making a Ruckus shakes up how we understand volunteering, leadership, and community. More than a podcast, it’s a movement to challenge old systems, measure what matters, and lead with courage, care, and connection.

Information

  • Creator
    Tracey O'Neill
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Tracey O'Neill
  • Show Website
    Making a Ruckus

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