December was Global Month of Giving at Autodesk, a time to celebrate the many ways employees gave back throughout 2020. Over the year, they gave generously of their time, resources, and expertise—supporting causes important to them. Autodesk enables employees, customers, and communities to design and make a better world for all. One way we support employees is through the Autodesk Foundation matching nonprofit donations up to 3000 USD per year. Employees can also take advantage of 48-hours of volunteer time per year on company time and lend their professional skills to Pro Bono Consulting projects. In a year when many organizations and individuals needed extra support, Autodesk employees responded by donating a record 5M USD, including Autodesk Foundation matching funds, to nonprofits around the world. They contributed 1M USD in pro bono consulting time and supported over 4,000 organizations around the world through volunteering and giving.

Charles Sanchez Jimenez, a BIM360 consultant in Australia, grew up as a sponsored architect student in Costa Rica. Now, as a professional, he’s thrilled to contribute to the school expenses of current students by regularly giving to The Smith Family, an Australian nonprofit.

“Sponsoring a child who might need extra help to pay for school supplies is a privilege,” says Charles. “Thankfully, since the Autodesk Foundation is matching donations, I am actually supporting more than one student.” In March, Autodesk temporarily expanded its matching program in response to the global pandemic and employees stepped up, committing nearly 1.5M USD to global causes in one month. Many employees also volunteered their technical skills towards projects focused on fighting COVID-19.

Throughout the year, Autodesk employees volunteered (both virtually and in person), organizing fundraisers, working with customers to achieve sustainability goals, and even giving back to each other by planning mindfulness meetups and sharing resilience resources. In a year of uncertainty, Autodesk employees reaffirmed their generosity and selflessness. And while Autodesk celebrates our giving in December – the positive impact of our efforts lasts all year.