What began as a group of college students competing in Overwatch tournaments has grown into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aiming to bring scholarships, career resources, and global community to collegiate gaming.

The Beginnings of the Fault Foundation

When Oscar “OzzTheWozz” Labit, a student at Michigan State University, wrapped up a summer of Overwatch competition with two collegiate teams he coordinated in July 2025, they found themselves at a crossroads familiar to many collegiate esports teams: what comes next?

That answer became the Fault Foundation. The mission? Create inclusive gaming opportunities and foster greater community connection, built by and provided for students.

The Fault Foundation’s Mission Statement:

“The Fault Foundation advances gaming culture and education by creating inclusive competitive gaming opportunities; fostering community connections between gamers across diverse backgrounds; and developing educational programs that promote teamwork, strategic thinking, and digital citizenship.”

The Fault Foundation is made up of five Board Members and three Officers, who are all students. Together, they organize, review, and execute projects relating to the Fault Foundation’s mission. The board is diverse across majors and universities, including Michigan State University, University of Southern Indiana, and Schoolcraft College.

“We came together after concluding a summer of competing in Overwatch tournaments,” Labit explained. “We all shared a similar desire to accomplish more, so we decided to turn Team Fault and Team D-Fault into the Fault Foundation and focus on providing opportunities.”

While many similar efforts in collegiate esports aim to fix a pre-existing pain point or problem, The Fault Foundation, whose board is made up primarily of current college students, sees itself as a provider of meaningful resources and helpful additions for students in the collegiate scene to solve problems before they appear.

“We saw it […as] more of a valuable addition,” Labit said, “since we’re able to approach non-revenue generating esports projects more openly with support from donors.” With a publicly available roadmap that details ambitious yet thoughtful projects such as Building a Career Center, Training Student Journalists, and Free Server Hosting, these goals will certainly provide much needed resources to students within the collegiate gaming and esports communities. 

Scholarships, Tournaments, and a Goal For Global Expansion

The Fault Foundation’s short-term focus is set on student support. The organization is working toward distributing its first scholarships for the 2026–2027 academic year, with an eye toward expanding into broader program support for collegiate esports development down the line.

Alongside scholarships, the foundation plans to run tournaments as part of its annual fundraising cycle, and is actively exploring collaborations with other organizations. Labit envisions a roughly 50/50 split between self-hosted and collaborative events once a regular schedule is established. Critically, the foundation is thinking beyond U.S. borders. Inclusivity is embedded in its mission statement, and Labit says future events will aim to bridge time zones and languages, and reach more than just English-speaking communities.

“People from all around the world come from very different cultures and backgrounds,” he said, noting his experience in international studies. “That’s why ‘inclusive’ is included in our mission statement.”

What’s it Like to Start a Nonprofit As a Student?

The team navigated the trials and tribulations of nonprofit formation in order to get The Fault Foundation off the ground, and Labit was candid about the lessons learned along the way. While incorporating as a nonprofit was nearly immediate after filing articles of incorporation with the state, earning 501(c)(3) status from the IRS took roughly three months of detailed documentation: policies, meeting minutes, and bank reports. 

When asked about the most difficult or frustrating part of the process, Labit recalled:

“The most frustrating part was waiting for the nonprofit discount for Google Workspace, because they want you to apply with an email attached to the website domain, but Google Workspace is where we were going to host our email.”

His advice to other student founders: spend a few dollars on a professional email address before beginning the application process.

A Student-Run Organization With an Eye on the Long Game

The Fault Foundation’s board is graduating this year and next year, but Labit says stepping off campus doesn’t mean stepping away. Alumni are encouraged to stay active in the community, and the foundation has longer-term aspirations that include a career center built around gaming, including lunch-and-learns, seminars, and meet-and-greets where a shared love of video games opens doors to professional networking.

In the meantime, the organization has immediate opportunities for students looking to get involved. Active projects span computer science, marketing research, and data analytics. Any goal on the foundation’s public roadmap is fair game for any student wanting to build real skills.

How Can You Get Involved?

The ask to any college student interested in gaming and willing to make an impact is simple, Labit says: show up. “Right now, many large projects are being handled by one to three full-time students, and the more people involved, the faster we can make a meaningful impact.”

Being a college student is difficult, which can include being a full-time student, maintaining relationships, and affording tuition. The Fault Foundation’s members believe that playing games can lessen these burdens through community, competition, and scholarship. Labit invites any student looking to make an impact in the collegiate gaming and esports space to get involved. 

You can check out the Fault Foundation’s Website here. You can join the Fault Foundation’s Discord here.