"The partner organisations DKolektiv from Croatia, Slovenian Philanthropy, Volunteer Centre and Self-help Denmark (FriSe), National Network for Civil Society from Germany, Volunteering Ireland and Centre for European Volunteering (CEV) have created a strategic partnership and merged their knowledge and experiences in order to explore the best practices and find solutions and innovations that reduce social exclusion among young people through volunteering. The main purpose of the project was to create strategic international cooperation on: improving practices of work with youth by measuring, testing and developing innovative models of youth volunteering as effective tools of inclusion; building new competences of organisations and experts who work with disadvnateged youth; affirming volunteering as a way of empowerment and tool of social inclusion; reinforcing links between practice and policy by creating new platforms for exchange of experience and know-how between organisations/experts in the field of youth volunteering and social inclusion. The success of social inclusion depends not only on the kind of volunteering activities on offer, but also on the kind of support and conditions that governments, volunteer development agencies and volunteer-involving organisations can provide. Therefore, the project also assists institutions and decision-makers to formulate policies and support programmes through comparable systematic data on the circumstances in which volunteering is useful for personal development, empowerment and inclusion of young people.During the “Making it Matter” project significant evidence was gathered in favour of inclusive programmes that support disadvantaged and marginalised youth to participate actively in volunteering in whatever way they can. Project enabled the creation of methods and indicators for impact measurement that will help volunteer involving organisations to understand the key benefits, and shape the most inclusive volunteer programmes.The partnership resulted with the following results and outputs that, in the long term, contributed to the improvement of social and organisational capacities for the development of high quality, innovative and community-oriented services that support the empowerment and inclusion of young people at risk of social exclusion through volunteering.IO1 Focus Research Report gives an overview of existing EU and national policies and practices that support the inclusion of disadvantaged youth through volunteering. The key findings and recommendations of the Report came out as a result of desk research of existing policies on an EU and national level, research implemented through 413 questionnaires of volunteer-involving organisations and interviews with 11 disadvantaged youth volunteers and 9 volunteer coordinators. The interviews were filmed and shaped in longer and shorter version of the promotional videos with testimonies of volunteer coordinators and volunteers on the impact of volunteering on their life and inclusion in the society.IO2 Manual on measuring the impact of volunteering on social inclusion designed as a simple, innovative tool, for regular monitoring and evaluation of impact of volunteering, evidence based, linking volunteer experience and its benefits with the impact on overall people’s well-being. The methodology was piloted within 11 organisations and 20 disadvantaged volunteers.IO3 Educational curriculum ""New pathway to social inclusion"" with tutor notes has been designed to ensure permanent support of capacity building of volunteer involving organisations to develop effective and well-managed inclusive volunteer programmes for disadvantaged youth. The design of the curriculum was followed by 3 implemented educations for over 50 participants. IO4 Policy Paper relies on the key findings of the Focus Research report and the Manual and offers set of recommendations at local, regional, national and EU level. It was communicated and disseminated to different stakeholders. 3 multiplier events through which the project results and outputs were presented and discussed as relevant for contributing to social inclusion gathered 129 participants from over 20 EU countries, among which were relevant researchers, practitioners, representatives of NGOs and representatives of European institutions who gained new knowledge and tools and were asked for greater support of volunteering as a tool of social inclusion of youth. The impact and sustainability of the project were achieved through improved infrastructure for development of volunteering as a tool for social inclusion; improved capacities of volunteer involving organisations and partner organisations for developing services and activities in line with the needs of disadvantaged youth; improved life quality of disadvantaged youth by their active engagement in the society through volunteering.The project contributed to the EU values of freedom, tolerance, respect of diversities."