Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, used to raise about $250,000 a year from its events. In 2026 it is on pace for about $1.05 million. Costs fell from 65% to 53% of sales, so the church now keeps about $493,500 a year from its events, compared with about $87,500 before.
| Before | 2026 (on pace) | |
|---|---|---|
| Event revenue | about $250,000 | about $1.05 million |
| Costs as a share of sales | 65% | 53% |
| What the church keeps | about $87,500 | about $493,500 |
“Our events used to raise about $250,000 a year. This year we're on pace for more than $1 million. That money is helping us build our church's future: a new home with more land, where our parishioners and guests feel safe and welcome.”
The challenge
Saint Demetrios runs fundraising events all year: a Greek food festival that draws 6,000+ people, bake sales and concerts. Volunteers ran registers, the kitchen, the bar, a Greek market and a pastry table at the same time. Without clear sales data, the church guessed how much food to order. Popular items sold out mid-event and volunteers ran to retail stores to restock at higher prices, while other food went to waste.
What changed
Working with PayVault advisor Zach Pantazi, the church moved every sale onto one Square account:
- Square registers at every station: the food line, bar, pastry table and the Bakaliko Greek market, with cash drawers and receipt printers. See how Square compares in Clover vs Square vs Genius.
- Online ordering: guests order from the full festival menu at udgreekfest.com for pickup or delivery.
- Delivery without a marketplace: Square sends a DoorDash courier for each delivery order, so the church keeps its own menu, prices and customers.
- Concert tickets: sold through TicketsCandy with payments processed by Square, so ticket sales land in the same reports.
- Square marketing to promote events to past guests.
“Saint Demetrios didn't need more volunteers. They needed better information. Once they could see what sold, when and through which channel, they planned smarter, and now their events are helping fund a new home for the parish. That's what good payment technology should do.”
Results
Revenue up about 4x. Festivals, bake sales, concerts, online ordering and delivery all run through the same system, so every event and every channel adds to one picture.
Costs down 12 points. Because every sale is in one set of reports, the church knows what will sell before each event. It now orders from wholesale distributors in advance instead of guessing, wastes less food, and no longer sends volunteers to buy retail mid-event.
More money for the mission. The church keeps about 5.6 times more from its events than before. That money is helping fund a move to a new home with more land.
What other nonprofits and event organizers can take from this
- Put every sale in one system. Registers, online orders, delivery and tickets in one set of reports show what really sells.
- Use last event's data to buy for the next. Ordering wholesale ahead of time cuts both waste and last-minute retail runs.
- Offer online ordering and delivery. Guests who won't wait in line will still order. More in our restaurant payments guide.
- Watch costs as a share of sales. The biggest win was not only more revenue: the church now keeps 47 cents of every dollar instead of 35. Card fees are part of that cost; see processing fees explained.
Running festivals, fundraisers or events? Get a free rate review and talk with a PayVault advisor about one system for every sale.
About the author
Josh Elsass
President, PayVault Solutions
Josh Elsass is President of PayVault Solutions, where he leads merchant sales and the agent and ISO partner channel. A payments executive with more than two decades of sales leadership in payment processing and business financing, he has worked with thousands of small businesses and enterprises nationwide and has been part of three successful company exits, building the sales channel behind each one. Before PayVault, he served as Chief Sales Officer and then President, Operating Companies at Simpay, where he strengthened every sales channel and oversaw day-to-day operations. Josh has built his career on one conviction: the best companies value clients, partners and employees equally. At PayVault, that means pricing explained line by line for every merchant and terms in writing for every sales partner.
Connect with Josh on LinkedIn