The Autodesk Foundation invests in the most impactful people and organizations using the power of design to create a better world. Our goal is to do the right things for the right reasons, in the context in which you interact with us.

This privacy statement tells you about our online and offline privacy practices.

Our primary goal is to help you understand what we do (and don’t do) when it comes to your personal information, so we’ve done our best to be clear.  

This privacy statement tells you about our privacy practices for the website located at www.autodesk.org, and applies to our offline practices.

We may display supplemental privacy or data collection notices that we share so you can make informed choices about what you want to do at the time you review the notices.  For example, you may see a notice explaining how you can submit feedback to us, apply for a grant or sign up for a newsletter – and the personal information you need to share with us to help you with that activity.

Websites do not link to this privacy statement are covered by other privacy policies or statements.  Third parties are responsible for their own privacy practices.  These include social media platforms or other company websites that we link to from our websites and applications.  Be sure to read the privacy policies, supplemental notices, and settings of all websites or platforms that you visit so you can understand their privacy practices and your options.

If you have privacy questions, concerns or complaints you can contact us as follows:

• by e-mail, at info@autodesk.org
• by postal mail, to President, the Autodesk Foundation, 111 McInnis Parkway, San Rafael, CA 94903

We may collect information about you for a number of purposes. We’ve broken these down into sections for easier reference.  For some sections we provide links to additional information that may help answer questions.

User IDs, registration, purchases, and contact

We collect information that identifies you when you:

• register to use our website
• register to attend an event
• contact us to provide feedback, for information, or for other reasons

Our websites and servers, your use of browsers

When you communicate with us, access our websites and servers through a browser, application, or other client, our servers automatically collect and record information.

For example, your browser or device may tell us:

• your browser type
• language preference
• the Internet Protocol (IP) address (which may tell us generally where you are located)
• the type of device or system you used.

Your browser may also tell us information such as:

• the time and date of your request
• the page that led you to our website, and 
• the search terms you typed into a search engine that led you to our website (if applicable).

Cookies and similar technologies

We and our service providers may use cookies and similar technologies to

• make our websites and applications work
• make it easier for you to use our websites and applications (for example, by remembering your language preferences)
• better understand how you use our websites and applications
• measure the success of email campaigns

Read our Cookie Policy

"Do not track" and similar mechanisms

Some web browsers may transmit "do-not-track" signals to websites with which the browser communicates.  Because of differences in how web browsers incorporate and activate this feature, it is not always clear whether users intend for these signals to be transmitted, or whether they even are aware of them.

Participants in the leading Internet standards-setting organization that is addressing this issue are in the process of determining what, if anything, websites should do when they receive such signals. We currently do not take action in response to these signals. If and when a final standard is established and accepted, we will reassess how to respond to these signals.

Please also read our Cookie Policy

Social networking pages

We have pages on many social networking platforms where you can visit and communicate with us. We may collect information when you visit our social networking pages, for example if you follow or "like" us.

Be sure to review the privacy and data usage policies of any social networking platform you use to learn more about its personal information practices and your options.

Social networking widgets and third party tools

Our website may include buttons, tools, or content that links to another companies’ services (for example, a Facebook "Like" button).  We may collect information about your use of these features.

In addition, when you see or interact with these buttons, tools, or content, or view our webpage or application containing them, some information from your browser may automatically be sent to the other company. Please read that company’s privacy policy for more information.

Children

This website is intended for general audiences.  We do not knowingly collect any personal information from children aged 12 years old and under.  No information should be submitted nor posted to this website by children 12 years old or under.

Our website may allow you to post content (such as feedback or pictures) that may include or be associated with personal information for others to see. 

Please keep the following in mind:

Be thoughtful about what you post

We urge you to be careful and thoughtful when deciding to disclose personal information on our website.

Information you post may be disclosed to others

The information and content you choose to post might be available only to registered members of the website, or to the general public who comes to view content on the site.

Your personal information may be disclosed to others

Your name, user name, profile image, or email address (particularly if this is your user name) may be posted along with any message or other content you post through some of our website.

For example, if our website has a public posting option (like comments), your post will be public by default and may be posted under your user name.  If you choose to share personal information in a public post, the access limitations, security protocols and other commitments in this privacy statement will not apply to the information shared.

Where we store personal information

We store personal information and data files associated with you on our servers and servers of companies we hire to provide services to us.

This information may be stored in the United States and in other countries where The Autodesk Foundation operates, and in countries where our service providers who help us run our business operate.

Please see the sharing with third parties section for more information about our practices and requirements we place on service providers.

If you are in the European Union, Switzerland, or other regions with laws governing data collection and use

If you are in the European Union, Switzerland, or other regions with laws governing data collection and use, you agree to the transfer to, and processing and storage of your personal information in the United States and other countries, the privacy laws of which may be considered as being less strict than those of your region.  This consent applies in addition to other legal grounds for transfer, processing and storage of your personal information, such as for contract fulfillment purposes.

Data retention

We will keep personal information about you only as long as we need it:

• to honor your choices,
• to fulfill the purposes described in this privacy statement, or
• as required or permitted by applicable laws and regulations.  For example, some laws and regulations may require us to retain certain transactional data.

Destruction of information

We take reasonable measures to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information in a secure manner when it is no longer required. For example, when the information is printed on paper, we take reasonable measures to delete or destroy it by shredding or incineration; where the information is stored electronically, we use technical means to render the information unusable.

You may also want to review the security and integrity of personal information section.

• For website, application and service related purposes
  • verifying eligibility to access to our website
  • delivering support or information you have requested
  • for any related purpose that you would reasonably expect, such as general administrative functions
• For communications
  • sending necessary communications, such as confirmation that you are registered for an event or responding to a request for information from you
  • sending communications with information about us, including:
    • newsletters
    • voluntary surveys
• For measurement, improvement and personalization
  • measuring and better understanding how our website is used, so we can improve it
  • tailoring your overall experience with us, including our website and communications
• For licensing, safety and security purposes
  • ensuring our website is used in compliance with applicable terms and the law
  • protecting our website visitors
• To help you make informed choices
  • to ask you for a permission in context (such as a permission to communicate with you)
  • as explained in any supplemental privacy or data collection notice
• For sharing
  • We share information with third parties, as described below.

We may share information about you with third parties under certain circumstances.

When you agree to the sharing

We do not share personal information about consumers with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes unless the consumer agreed to that sharing.

Service providers

We may share information about you with companies, contractors and agents that help us to run our business.  These companies, contractors and agents provide services to us like

• fulfilling orders or processing grants
• sending emails to you on our behalf
• delivering user support
• storage and analytics purposes

We require these companies, contractors and agents to agree to use reasonable safeguards to protect information about you. They will have access to some of your information, limited to what they need to have to provide services.  They are not allowed to use personal information they receive from us for their own purposes.

To comply with legal process, and address safety and security concerns

We share personal information when:

• we are required provide information to comply with applicable laws, subpoenas, court orders or other legal processes
• we have a good faith belief that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or respond to fraud, defend our websites or applications against attacks, or protect the rights, property and safety of The Autodesk Foundation, our users, or the public

Aggregated information

We may share or publish aggregated information and other information that does not specifically identify you, such as statistics about the number of visitors to our websites or about how customers and end users use our applications.

We use a combination of administrative, technical and physical security controls to help protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Access to personal information is restricted to those employees, contractors, and agents of The Autodesk Foundation who need to know such data to perform their assigned functions and develop or improve our products and services. However, despite our efforts, no security controls are 100% effective, and we cannot completely ensure or warrant the security of your personal information.

We may update this privacy statement from time to time. Check the date at the top of this privacy statement to see the last time the privacy statement was changed. If we decide to make changes to our privacy statement on a forward going basis, we will tell you and other users by placing a notice on this website and/or by sending you a notice to the e-mail address (if any) we have on file for you. We may also give you notice through our applications and on our other websites. You should periodically check this website and this Privacy Statement for updates. Your continued use of our website constitutes your agreement to the uses of personal information described in this privacy statement. For changes to this privacy statement that may be materially less restrictive on our use or disclosure of personal information you have provided to us, we will obtain your consent before implementing the change. Please contact us if you have questions.

We use cookies and similar technologies (such as web beacons, pixel tags and clear GIFs). You will find more information on cookies below.

A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to a browser from a web server and gets saved on the hard drive of the computer that you are using (in the browser folders).  Cookies and similar tools collect standard information from your browser such as

• browser type
• browser language
• the website address you came from when you visited our website.

They may also collect information about

• your Internet Protocol (IP) address
• your clickstream behavior – this might include
  • the pages you view
  • the links you click
  • the date and time of your visit or request

Cookies may uniquely identify your browser or your account, but they do not necessarily identify you personally. 

Cookies can be used to help store personal information, like an email address or user name you use to log in.

There are session cookies and persistent cookies. 

Session cookies only last during your session on a website – when you close your browser to end a session, the cookies end, as well.

Persistent cookies last longer, and are used to remember things over time, such as your language preference or that you are a unique user who is returning to a website.

To learn more about cookies and other automatic data collection tools, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

Cookies help us remember information that makes your experience faster and more useful to you—even if we don’t know exactly who you are.  Here are a few examples of how cookies can make your experience better.  The website you use:

• remembers your language choice
• lets you stay logged in
• shows you content that will be more likely to be useful and interesting to you

Cookies are useful for us, too.  They can let us know things like:

• how many unique visitors visit our websites
• whether someone is a new or repeat visitor
• which area or content on a particular website was most viewed or downloaded

You can think about three different types of cookies:

Strictly necessary

When you request a service or action through our websites or applications, these cookies are strictly necessary to:

• enable services
• provide information that you requested
• allow you to use essential features

Here are some examples – cookies that:

• make an online shopping cart work
• support customer support chat functions
• improve security or prevent fraud

 If you disable these types of cookies, we will not be able to fulfill your request.

Functional and performance

You make choices that make your experience with our websites and applications better for you.  By understanding how our end users move around, use and interact with our websites and applications.

Functional and performance cookies help us remember your choices, and can improve your overall experience with and enhance our services by giving us non-personal, statistical information about the effectiveness of our operations and promotional campaigns.

If you disable or opt-out of these cookies or other technologies, it may prevent you from using certain parts of our website, and it may reduce the support or information that we can provide you.

Marketing

These types of cookies are used collect information about your browsing or shopping history in order to tailor relevant marketing according to how you use our websites and applications.

We do not anticipate using marketing cookies on this website.

We and our service providers (acting on our behalf) set cookies.

Modify your browser settings

You can modify your browser settings to control whether your computer or other device accepts or declines cookies. If you choose to decline cookies, as noted above, you may not be able to use certain interactive features of our websites or applications.

Delete cookies from your browser

You can delete cookies from your browser; however, that means that any settings or preferences managed by those cookies will also be deleted and you may need to recreate them.