BRG Apartments

Creating Community

By Erica Rascón on Mar 11, 2014 in People | 1 Comment

Yardi client BRG Apartments is the largest owner and operator of rental communities in the region with more than 6,800 apartment homes in 40 communities throughout Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. The company takes pride in its Midwestern heritage. From the corporate office down to its smallest property, BRG instills the values of hospitality and philanthropy through community service.

Jennifer Illanz, Training and Marketing Manager at BRG, believes that community service is integrated into the company’s mission statement. “Volunteerism is important because it helps express our mission statement, ‘and we care,’” she says. “Being locally owned and managed creates a sense of community within the community; we’re setting up in these neighborhoods and we want to show that we don’t just care about the properties, we care about the surrounding communities.”

The culture of volunteerism benefits charity recipients as well as BRG employees. “[BRG employees] gain a sense of pride,” explains Illanz. “They see that it’s not just a job that they’re going to everyday. Volunteering with BRG makes them feel like they’re part of a family that is giving back to the community. It’s definitely a positive thing.”

BRG begins the philanthropy from within, rallying support amongst its ranks for pressing social issues. In past years, BRG participated in the March of Dimes March for Babies Walk and raised over $20,000. This year, BRG chose to participate in a local event, Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure. Illanz says, “Three people within our corporate office have been personally affected by a brain tumor. Throughout the preparation for this walk we found out that even more employees were affected. We had over 50 people attend the walk and we raised over $8,000. The walk was a huge success.”

BRG also sponsors local chapters of the Boys and Girls Club, Toys for Tots, The American Red Cross, Matthew 25 Ministries and United Way.  In addition, the company supports the John P. March Educational Foundation. This foundation provides scholarships for students to attend the renowned Cincinnati Country Day School.

BRG is part of a larger family, often working in conjunction with Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association (GCNKAA) Outreach on multiple outreach projects throughout the year. The association’s projects are designed to edify communities one tenant at a time by providing housing assistance, canned food drives, back to school initiatives, and programs for scholars and seniors.

“BRG has donated to the association every year,” says Illanz. “BRG was a diamond sponsor in the 3^rd annual Night Out for Outreach which raised over $100,000.  All of the proceeds fund the apartment association’s programs. It’s a really good cause that I’m happy to be a part of.”

GCNKAA, with the help of the Associate Counsel and other area sponsors, donated a fully furnished apartment to a less unfortunate family in Cincinnati. The association then went a step further and donated a decorated Christmas tree, holiday gifts, and a VISA gift card to help buy groceries for the family.

Illanz also participated in GCNKAA’s Back to School Back Pack Giveaway. Volunteers stuffed backpacks with school essentials which when then distributed to kids in need. Since the program’s inception, more than 1,700 children have received the tools needed to succeed in school. “I think anything that involves kids touches me personally among the other volunteer events,” says Illanz. “They were so appreciative and I thought that was very touching!”

To learn more about BRG’s philanthropic outreach and how you can get involved, visit the company’s Community Involvement  page.