"Officially" we start at $50, which is for the first hour or portion thereof. However we will negotiate with local charity organizations- if some are unable to pay, they are usually agreeable to letting us sell tapes or playing for tips. One time we got money, tapes AND tips! We don't want to turn away charitable causes simply on account of money.

Then, of course, if we're going out of town, there's the issue of expenses. Several places we go will at least feed us, others will comp hotel rooms, some do both.

And sometimes, it happens that an organization has a real budget, and will pay more than the official asking fee. A large banquet we played last year gave us $200 for an hour's work, because they had it available at the time. It doesn't always go like that, though. :-)