Benefit Auctioneer & Emcee Services | Denver & Nationwide

Most nonprofits and schools spend months planning their fundraising event but spend considerably less time on the strategy behind it. And it doesn't matter who's holding the microphone if there's no strategy behind what they're saying. That's exactly what I help fix.

I'm Debbie Scheer — a licensed benefit auctioneer and professional emcee based in Denver, Colorado. I'm not a vendor you hire for the night. I'm a strategic partner from the first planning conversation to the post-event debrief — and everything in between. I serve nonprofits and schools across Colorado and nationwide, and I bring the same level of strategic depth to every single event regardless of size or geography.

Who This Is For

Who Is The Full Service For?

The Full Service is built for nonprofits and schools who are done hoping for the best and ready for a true strategic partner. It's for organizations that understand their fundraising event is one of the most important donor touchpoints of the year — and want someone who treats it exactly that way. If you're ready to stop leaving money on the table and start building a fundraising event that gets smarter every single year, this is for you.

What Partnering With Me Actually Looks Like

I work with nonprofits in three distinct phases — before, during, and after your event. 

Before your event: 

I bring the best practices. You bring the knowledge of your guests, your community, and your mission. When we combine those two things — that's when we create truly magical moments for your donors and your mission.

We start by getting into the details together. Depending on where you are in your planning process this might look like:

•  Analyzing your data from previous years to identify if money was left on the table and where your biggest opportunities live
• Determining together whether a live auction makes sense for your specific audience
• Identifying what auction items and experiences will resonate most with your guests
• Designing a paddle raise strategy built around your specific donor base and giving culture
• Developing mission moments that are powerful and dignified — inspiring giving without manufacturing guilt
• Building a run of show that keeps fundraising front and center from the first moment to the last
• Creating a comprehensive script your team can own with confidence
• Coaching your board members to move from loving your mission to asking others to fund it authentically, confidently, and without pressure. Available when it's needed, never pushed when it's not.

No two events are the same. No two organizations are the same. That's why we build this together.

On event night: This is where everything we built together comes to life. I can serve as your professional emcee, your licensed benefit auctioneer, or both — whatever your event needs. Either way you're not alone in that room. You have a strategic partner who knows your program, knows your goals, and knows your audience, because we built this together.

After your event: We're not done when the last guest leaves. We debrief (don't worry not that night as your priority is to take a moment to enjoy what you have accomplished, rest, and to drink water!) Within a week of the event we meet and look at what the numbers are telling us, celebrate the wins, and identify the opportunities. Then we start building toward an even stronger event next year. Because the best fundraising events aren't accidents — they're the result of a partnership that keeps getting smarter.

"Debbie Scheer is the best auctioneer I have ever worked with in over 15 years of fundraising. She brings passion, professionalism, and a wonderful sense of community to our events — resulting in guests feeling GREAT about donating and connecting to our mission in a way that fundraisers can only dream about. Run, don't walk, to hire Debbie as your host, emcee, or auctioneer."

— Shannon Boltz, Safe House Denver

Frequently Asked Questions About Working With Debbie

Do I need both an emcee and a benefit auctioneer for my nonprofit gala? Not necessarily — and the answer depends on your event. When I serve as both your emcee and your benefit auctioneer, you get one consistent presence throughout the evening. No energy drops, no disconnect between your program and your fundraising, and no moment where the room loses momentum. If you already have an emcee you love, that's awesome, as I love working with emcees and I have partnered with many over the years. If you have an emcee I can come in purely as your auctioneer while still providing full pre-event strategy and fundraising consultation. 

We've always used a volunteer auctioneer. Why should we consider a professional? Because your volunteer auctioneer is probably someone your donors love and that matters. But loving your mission and knowing how to engineer a room full of people toward a fundraising goal are two very different skill sets. A professional benefit auctioneer brings strategic depth, stage presence, and hundreds of events worth of hard-won knowledge about what actually moves people to give. I've watched organizations make the switch from volunteer to professional and add tens of thousands of dollars to their bottom line in year one. Not because their volunteer was doing something wrong but because there's a ceiling on what enthusiasm alone can do. Your donors deserve both: someone who connects with your mission AND knows exactly how to turn that connection into impactful giving.

What does your pre-event strategy process actually look like? It starts with a deep dive into your event history, donor data, and fundraising goals. From there I help you determine whether a live auction makes sense for your audience, what items will resonate with your donors, how to structure your paddle raise, and how to develop mission moments that move people without feeling manipulative.

What if we're still in early planning stages — is it too soon to reach out? It's never too soon. The earlier we connect, the more strategic we can be together. That said, I've pulled off a highly successful event with four days' notice. Wherever you are in your planning, let's talk

Do you work with schools as well as nonprofits?
Absolutely. I partner with schools and school foundations. The strategy is the same — understanding your audience, designing a paddle raise & live auction that fits your community, and making sure every moment of your event is working toward your fundraising goal.

What happens at the post-event debrief?
We sit down together -ideally within one week of your event — and go through your results in detail. What the numbers are telling us, where you exceeded expectations, where there's opportunity for growth, and what we'd do differently next year. That debrief isn't an afterthought. It's where your fundraising data starts working for you and where next year's strategy begins.

What's the difference between The Full Service and just hiring an auctioneer for the night?

The difference is significant. When you hire an auctioneer for the night you're getting someone who shows up, calls bids, and goes home. When you hire me for The Full Service you're getting a strategic partner who starts working months before your event. That means data analysis, complete fundraising strategy, run of show development, script creation, mission moment design, paddle raise strategy, board coaching, and me on stage as your licensed benefit auctioneer and emcee — all included at no additional cost. Most of my long-term clients choose The Full Service because once you experience what a truly strategic partnership produces, it's hard to go back to hoping for the best.