Two simple words guide the culture at Village Green: We Care. Those six letters are the foundation for everything the company stands for, from its customer-centric culture to its award-winning education programs and incredibly popular philanthropic endeavors.

Among the organizations that Village Green supports are the Ronald McDonald House, Toys for Tots and a number of other local and national causes. “Being socially responsible brings our company, our employees and our residents closer,” said Roger Tertocha, director of corporate communications at Village Green. He is also the director of all philanthropy of the corporation.

The company, number 28 on NMHC’s 50 Largest Apartment Managers list for 2016, is gearing up for its biggest charity event of the year. Later this month, Village Green will host its 25th annual “Splash Day” to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities. People from every level of the company — from the president and CFO to individual properties’ leasing agents and maintenance crews — don the famous clown’s red and white socks and — literally — jump into the pool to raise funds for local Ronald McDonald Houses.

At Village Green, supporting worthy causes is not just a feel-good activity, but one of the many ways they are putting renters at the center of their business. At the same time, being socially responsible works to enhance Village Green’s renter retention efforts. We caught up with Roger in the midst of his preparations for the big day to learn more about Village Green’s missions and why focusing on making an impact is good for his business.

Zillow: Why is philanthropy such a big part of Village Green’s culture?  

Roger: Our company slogan is “We Care.” That was developed about 50 years ago. It represents working with our residents and each other, along with our greater communities. It means we put people first. The multifamily industry is a very high-touch business. We have a customer-centric culture, and it’s served us well. We think about our properties not as a place to rent, but as a lifestyle for our residents. And because of that, we aim to make life as good as possible for them.

We apply that philosophy to our communities and to our employees. We’ve found that the people who do well here are the ones who like to help people. At the same time, we are focused on two large demographic groups of people renting apartments: millennials and baby boomers. Both of these cohorts want to be involved in philanthropic causes. It’s a good way to show that Village Green is a socially responsible organization. And, residents can see it in action when we jump in the pool on Splash Day.

Zillow: Tell us more about Village Green’s “We Care” philosophy.

Roger: It starts with ourselves. It’s how we train our employees and it informs our attitudes. We know that most people will stay in an apartment for two years. Like many other business, turnover is one of our biggest expenses. We want to minimize turnover, and to do that, we offer our residents better customer service than any other major property management company. We’ve won the CEL National Multifamily Customer Service Award for Excellence seven years in a row. We enter in order to receive the customer feedback for our properties. It serves as a measuring stick for us and lets us know where we need to improve.

Receiving that honor seven years in a row comes from having an institutional approach in our Village Green University, which is award-winning in itself. There are over 50 graduate and undergraduate courses our people can take, with classes for everyone. This customer-centric education is ingrained in our culture.

We make such a big deal about Splash Day because we want residents to have an understanding of our “We Care” philosophy. That’s why we have it at individual properties instead of our corporate office writing a check. By keeping the events local, residents get to see the same people who have watched their dog or helped them get acquainted with a new neighborhood taking the time to help a local charity. It is “We Care” in action.

Zillow: Why did you choose to support Ronald McDonald House?

Roger:  We choose to support Ronald McDonald Houses because they’re shelter orientated, and we’re in the shelter business ourselves. We understand what it means to have a nice home for people, especially in a multifamily environment. It’s an easy connection for us as a corporation to make, but also for our associates and our residents to make.

Zillow: How is Splash Day received by residents?

Roger: Residents can contribute extra money in their rent to Ronald McDonald House, or they can contribute at the event. We put on a party! A few residents join us and jump in the pool. But, most who attend come for the party. While it binds us as an organization nationally, the money raised stays local. If one of our associates is working hard to raise money, everyone knows where it goes. Many of them volunteer at the houses as well. We encourage that.

The event started 25 years ago with one property manager who hopped in the pool to raise some money. The tradition stuck, and this year the event is really amping up. We’ll have all the officers of our company from the president and CFO along with many regional executives participating locally. We also have professional athletes participating this year — a Detroit Lion, a Pittsburg Steeler and a Cincinnati Bengal. That’s going to be a huge draw for residents. It’s meant to inspire our residents and our associates, so when they see all those people jumping into the pool, they know how committed we are.