Aj Calpo
Technology Chair for NCMEA High School Choral Section
How he uses Cheddar Up
- Collecting Payments
- Event Registrations
- Choral Registrations & Dues
- Group Management
Cheddar Up user since
June 2023
NUMBER OF COLLECTIONS
16
TOTAL COLLECTED
$150K+
(and counting!)
Before Cheddar Up, Managing Events Was Time-Consuming & Disconnected
Before using Cheddar Up, the NCMEA (North Carolina Music Educators Association) High School Choral Section relied on Square to manage student event payments. However, Square wasn’t built for education-based organizations, making it an inefficient solution for their needs. They needed a way to manage payments, registrations, and data tracking in one place. Instead, they were forced to rely on separate systems — Google Forms for registrations and Square for payments — leading to a disjointed and time-consuming process.
One of the biggest challenges was financial transparency. Without an integrated system, NCMEA had limited visibility into participation numbers and financials, making it difficult to track engagement across different schools and counties. The administrative burden was overwhelming, requiring hours of manual reconciliation and back-and-forth communication with schools. Additionally, Square required a $250 subscription for business-level features that didn’t fully support NCMEA’s needs.
NCMEA needed a solution that was simple, all-in-one, and designed for event-based payment collection rather than retail sales.
“Square just wasn’t built for us. We weren’t selling anything, and the data tracking was nearly impossible. We needed a system that worked for what we do.”
Aj Calpo
NCMEA
The Solution: A Seamless, All-in-One Platform
Switching to Cheddar Up allowed NCMEA to consolidate payment collection, registrations, and data tracking into a single platform. Instead of managing multiple disconnected systems, they now had a streamlined landing page where teachers could register students and submit payments in one step.
With Cheddar Up, NCMEA could track participation more effectively, ensuring better outreach to schools that were previously overlooked. The system also automated reporting, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reconciliation. Having a centralized platform meant that team members could access real-time data without relying on spreadsheets or manual tracking.
Collaboration also became much easier. Previously, one person had to manage most of the payment and registration work. Now, event chairs and other team members can share the responsibility, reducing stress and improving overall efficiency. The result was a smoother, more transparent system that provided better service to students, teachers, and event organizers.
“We used to juggle multiple platforms. Now, with Cheddar Up, everything is in one place — it’s just easier.”
Aj Calpo
NCMEA
“Cheddar Up lets us focus on what matters: making music. We’re not bogged down by admin work anymore.”
Aj Calpo
NCMEA
How NCMEA Benefited from Cheddar Up
Switching to Cheddar Up drastically improved NCMEA’s efficiency. Setting up and managing payments with Square took weeks, requiring constant troubleshooting and manual effort. In contrast, setting up Cheddar Up took only five days, allowing the team to focus on organizing events rather than handling financial logistics.
With real-time financial tracking, NCMEA can see exactly how many students and schools were participating in events. This provides better insights into how to allocate resources and which counties need additional support. As a result, NCMEA can proactively engage with underrepresented schools and improve statewide participation.
The ease of use and efficiency of Cheddar Up quickly led to its expansion beyond the high school choral section. Other NCMEA divisions adopted the platform after seeing how much time and effort it saved. The system’s ability to automate payment collection, reporting, and registration tracking transformed event management for the entire organization.
Before you go
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