PTA-UK has joined with MyDonate to enable every Parent Teacher Association in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to raise sponsorship money and collect gift aid online.

Currently less than one-fifth of the 13,750 PTAs actively claim gift aid. The introduction of the partnership with BT's free online donation service means that PTA-UK now expects a third of fundraising will be conducted online by 2015. The current figure is less than 1 per cent with schools previously wary of setup costs and administration charges.

David Butler, chief executive of PTA-UK, said: “Parent Teacher Associations across the UK can now look forward to a new era of fundraising. The ability to move fundraising and sponsorship online will enable school fundraising to become efficient and more dynamic.”

Since its launch in April 2011 MyDonate has signed up almost 2,000 charities and raised nearly £30m. It is now one of the main online fundraising platforms alongside JustGiving, the original and largest organisation in the sector.