Engage

09/05/2026

"Historically, many organisations, including not-for-profits, have managed employees and volunteers through separate structures. Our new model deliberately moves away from that approach,"
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The Smith Family's David Rae explains how a 'One Workforce' model unites almost 6,000 volunteers with 1,000 paid staff

09/04/2026

In this deeply personal reflection, Tracey O'Neill explores her own journey to understand how colonial thinking shapes the way we define participation, measure contribution and position organisations in relation to community. As O’Neill sits honestly with the parts she hasn't resolved – the assumptions she's still unlearning, the systems she still works within – she invites all leaders of Volunteer Engagement to look differently at what we've built over generations and to ask whose interests it has served.
🌏 https://engagejournal.org/article/july-2026/counter-colonialism-learning-show-leader-volunteer-engagement

09/03/2026

This was unlocked and available for free!
https://engagejournal.org/RemoteVirtualVolunteerRecruitmentTeams

09/03/2026

We just popped over to the Ellis Archive and wow it looks great!

Students and academic researchers interested in tracing the history of specific trends or aspects of volunteer engagement will find a wealth of resource material that is nowhere else available.

09/03/2026

In this deeply personal reflection, Tracey O'Neill explores her own journey to understand how colonial thinking shapes the way we define participation, measure contribution and position organisations in relation to community. As O’Neill sits honestly with the parts she hasn't resolved – the assumptions she's still unlearning, the systems she still works within – she invites all leaders of Volunteer Engagement to look differently at what we've built over generations and to ask whose interests it has served.
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Everything shifted for Tracey O’Neill, CVA, the moment Counter-Colonialism Workshop designer and Facilitator Rob Patton said: "Colonisation dehumanises us all." The comment reframed 25 years of O’Neill’s practice as a Volunteer Engagement Leader and an “expert” in the sector, and brought h...

09/02/2026

Up ahead!

09/02/2026

Journal members, don't forget to check out the latest articles!

09/02/2026

Happy 25th Anniversary to Volunteering New Zealand1
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25 years is a milestone worth celebrating. We're an association of volunteer centres, national and regional organisations with a 25-year legacy of volunteering in Aotearoa New Zealand. We believe that community volunteers power sustainable societies.

09/01/2026

NEW Feature Article from Tracey O'Neill, CVA.
"Counter Colonialism: Learning to Show Up as a Leader of Volunteer Engagement"

Everything shifted for Tracey O’Neill, CVA, the moment Counter-Colonialism Workshop designer and Facilitator Rob Patton said: "Colonisation dehumanises us all." The comment reframed 25 years of O’Neill’s practice as a Volunteer Engagement Leader and an “expert” in the sector, and brought home the stark reality that the systems we have inherited were never designed to truly centre community. In fact, O’Neill realized, they were designed to extract from it.

In this deeply personal reflection, O'Neill explores her own journey to understand how colonial thinking shapes the way we define participation, measure contribution and position organisations in relation to community. As O’Neill sits honestly with the parts she hasn't resolved – the assumptions she's still unlearning, the systems she still works within – she invites all leaders of Volunteer Engagement to look differently at what we've built over generations and to ask whose interests it has served.

https://engagejournal.org/article/july-2026/counter-colonialism-learning-show-leader-volunteer-engagement
* this article is for Engage members, low cost monthly memberships are available

09/01/2026

"when trying to influence others about the value of volunteering, we generally talk up what’s great about volunteers and the contribution they make... What if we argued against involving volunteers? What might such a proposition look like?"
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Volunteers don’t want to be told what to do all the time. They don’t want to be micromanaged.