Paper & Cup is a café-bookshop that, unbeknown to most, is a social enterprise for former drug addicts. With plenty of coffee shops to compete with and a discerning local clientèle, why does Paper & Cup make no mention of its virtues?

Kony 2012 achieved 100 million views in under one week, becoming the first viral video in history to do so. Like it or not, the campaign has resonated with millions of teenagers worldwide. How?

People are willing to show support for social causes – provided they don't have to do much - and brands are finding new ways to tap into the strength of the herd. By re-engineering menial actions – from buying body lotion to having sex – there are ways to reward everyone.

From Just Giving Facebook updates to wearing H&M’s Conscious Collection, public displays of philanthropy have become a symbol of status. But does it really matter that these new do-gooders are motivated only by people seeing them do good if the outcome is still positive?

Sometimes there’s nothing better than indulging yourself. But as the desire to do good with minimal effort spreads, people are looking for that perfect medium between self-indulgence and selflessness. Enter One Hope Wine, part of California’s growing ‘cause brand’ trend.

Young Brits are politically minded. 70% think social media should be used for social change, and a quarter are highly knowledgable about politics. Yet only 12% would definitely vote in a general election. Why are they so disillusioned? And is engaging via social media the answer?

Less than 10% of Brits regularly donate money to charity because it's 'inconvenient'. By seamlessly enabling online shoppers to donate as they spend, Give as you Live is activating a new market of donors, while freeing them from buyer's remorse.

Lying in his hospital bed, terminally ill teenager Stephen Sutton shared a photo on Facebook for his final week. A week later, he is still alive and has raised over £3 million for charity, showing the powerful effect of telling a personal story through social media.