Hi, we’re Rich and Jess. We’re parents to Leo and Madeleine, who are both primary school age, and like many mums and dads, we’ve found ourselves deeply involved in our local PTA at Furzedown Primary School in London.
Through that work, we’ve seen first-hand how important fundraising is. PTAs are often the difference between a “nice to have” and a real opportunity for our children, whether that’s new books in the library, an outdoor classroom, or helping to fund trips.
One of the most exciting and effective ways schools raise money is through auctions. They get parents talking, bring the community together, and can raise serious amounts for school projects. But when we tried to run them ourselves, we hit some common frustrations:
- Existing websites were often too clunky or dated.
- Some platforms charged big commissions — money that should go straight to the school.
- Others just weren’t built with PTAs in mind, so the process ended up being harder than it needed to be.
That’s why we built Aucly: a simple, modern auction website designed specifically for PTAs and school communities. Our goal is to make it easy for busy volunteers to run an auction without needing tech skills, and to ensure schools keep as much of the money raised as possible.
This blog is where we’ll share updates, tips, and ideas we’ve picked up along the way. We’ll also be honest about what it’s like running a side project like this alongside family life, school commitments, and day jobs!
Thanks for stopping by. If you’re part of a PTA yourself, we’d love to hear your stories and what’s worked for you. Here’s to making fundraising simpler — and more fun — for all of us.
— Rich, Jess, Leo & Madeleine
