At the Daylesford Hotel, we’ve always believed a good pub is more than a place to eat and drink...
It’s a meeting point, a support system, and a steady presence through the highs and lows of country life. For generations, this hotel has played a role in bringing people together after footy games, during fundraisers, on long weekends, and in moments when the community needs to rally. That responsibility matters to us, and it shapes how we run the pub today.
Friday Night Community Raffle
Every Friday night, the pub comes alive for our weekly community raffle – a simple idea that has grown into something incredibly powerful.
Each week, we partner with a local not-for-profit, sporting club or community group, with raffle proceeds going directly back into the region.
Over the course of a year, this raffle raises around $50,000 for grassroots organisations doing vital work in and around Daylesford and Hepburn Springs.
It’s a night built on connection – locals catching up, visitors joining in, tickets sold at the bar, names drawn, and plenty of cheering (and groaning). It’s one of the ways the hotel quietly gives back, week in and week out.
Hosted by local legend, Sam O’Connor.
Our largest fundraising effort each year is Cliffy’s at Christmas, a shared community fundraiser led by Cliffy’s Emporium and the Daylesford Hotel, in support of our local CFA brigades.
Each December, both venues throw their weight behind the volunteers who protect our town and surrounding districts. Through the Christmas raffle, Christmas Day trade, our Friday Night Community Raffle, and the generosity of the wider community, we raise vital funds to support the CFA’s ongoing work, equipment and training.
Over the past seven years, our teams have raised more than $140,000 for the Country Fire Authority, including over $42,000 in 2025 alone. These efforts are made possible not just through donations, but through the significant time, care and coordination contributed by our staff across both venues.
This fundraiser matters deeply to us. Many of our team members, families and regulars have personal connections to the CFA, and supporting them is simply part of what it means to be a community pub.
CHRISTMAS AT CLIFFY’S
SupPORTING LOCAL CAUSES
Giving back isn’t something we do occasionally – it’s woven into how we operate.
Each year, the Daylesford Hotel commits:
Significant staff time and wages
In-kind support and venue use
Direct financial contributions
Ongoing promotional support for local causes
We focus on initiatives that are genuinely local, community-led, and aligned with the values of care, connection and contribution that underpin this pub.
FUNDRAISING DONATION REQUESTS
FUNDRAISING DONATION REQUESTS
We receive a high volume of donation and sponsorship requests each year – many more than we’re able to support.
While we wish we could say yes to every cause, our capacity is limited. Priority is given to local organisations, not-for-profits and community groups with a clear benefit to the Daylesford and Hepburn Springs region.
To ensure requests are assessed fairly and thoughtfully, we ask that all fundraising and donation requests are submitted via the form below.
Submitting a request doesn’t guarantee support, but it does help us understand your cause and consider it carefully.
FRIDAY NIGHT RAFFLE REQUESTS
We provide the prizes, raffle tools and venue support. In return, we ask that your group helps sell tickets on the night and is present to represent and promote your cause within the pub.
This form is an expression of interest only and does not guarantee a place in the raffle calendar. Due to high demand, we keep expressions of interest on file for up to two years.
All applications are reviewed by our team and selected at the discretion of Daylesford Hotel management, with priority given to initiatives that are genuinely local and community-based.
Thank you for the work you do, and for taking the time to apply.