It still seems to me that you're overreaching yourselves by spending too much of your income on the performers. If you can't keep back enough to sustain the programme, you're paying the performers too much. If you can't get them to come for less, then perhaps you're booking the wrong performers and should go for ones slightly lower down the pecking order.

You have to decide what you're trying to do and what standard of guest you want to put on, on the assumption that the best performers can demand the highest fees. If you want to put on more expensive guests when you're not taking enough to maintain the kitty, you'll have to accept that from time to time you might have to put your hands in your own pockets. Othetwise you should re-think your booking strategy, book less expensive guests and rebalance the split between what you pay the performers and what you keep. When the kitty is healthy, you can afford to splash out occasionally on a more expensive artist than usual because you can afford to lose money on that occasion.

Performers like to be paid, but they're realists and understand the economics, perhaps better than most organisers. Many would rather have the prospect of repeat bookings from a secure venue at a lower fee than a single one-off gig at a higher fee. A sustainable business model works both ways.

Fundraisers needn't be an extra burden. They don't have to be in addition to your usual programme, they can be part of it. It is usual for folk clubs in the UK, even those who usually put on professional guests, to intersperse these with cheaper local performers or even just a singers night (open mic). They might charge a bit less on the door, but make a bigger profit which goes to boost funds. In my experience these nights are often as popular, sometimes more so, than regular guest nights.

Another thought on guarantees - most of the time they turn out to be unnecessary, and the performer will get paid more than the guarantee. However they are an important psychologically to the performer and could make the difference between them accepting the gig or not. So next time you're negotiating with a performer over a guarantee, ask yourself just how big a difference it will make to you - are you really giving something away if you agree to one?