Funded Partner Spotlight: Felons Ain’t Failures
St. Pete native Charles Price first got involved with the justice system at 12 years old when he was arrested for assault and battery. At 15, it was robbery. In 1998, he went to prison after a series of drug possession charges. After getting picked up again shortly after his release, he finished his final sentence in 2004.
Something inside him had changed.
“I was at a point in my life where I felt like there was more to life than this. I began to pray and seek out purpose, asking what am I hear for?” Price explained. “That began my transformation from the inside. I became serious about turning my life around and preventing kids from going through what I did.”
In 2025, after years of building community relationships, speaking at juvenile detention centers about peer pressure, and supporting youth through avenues including sports and church groups, he created the nonprofit Felons Ain’t Failures. The group aims to empower incarcerated individuals, returning citizens, and at-risk youth to break cycles, strengthen decision-making, and become the ‘next’ and best version of themselves.
“I created the nonprofit in 2025, but it’s been in my heart for a while. When I was serving time in prison, my motto was I’m a felon but I’m not a failure,” Price said. “I was able to do so many amazing things after prison, and I wanted to motivate, encourage, and inspire people who needed a second chance to go after things.”
In 2025, Felons Ain’t Failures received their first funding in the form of a Foundation capacity-building grant, which helped strengthen the group’s infrastructure. Price used the grant to offer trainings for board members and volunteers who assist with grant writing, purchase software like QuickBooks and Adobe Acrobat, and acquire laptops so that team members (who are all volunteers) could work and participate in evening Zoom calls from home. With that strengthened infrastructure, the group has gone on to secure additional grants and build out programs to serve the local community.
In March of 2026, after months of preparation, the group launched Young Influencers, a nine-month mentorship program designed to support at-risk youth in St. Petersburg ages 12 and up.
“I started my youth program at 12 because it’s a pivotal age. That’s when you really begin to experience peer pressure and environmental influence. I want to grab kids there before they establish those negative thought and behavior patterns,” Price said.
Every Wednesday evening, a group of up to 15 youth meet at a South St. Petersburg recreation center to have dinner, talk, and learn. The first Wednesday of each month focuses on mental health and emotional intelligence, the second on physical health, so students work out and learn to make healthy snacks like smoothies. The third Wednesday is life-building, where students learn to deal with peer pressure, set goals, build decision-making skills and more. The final Wednesday of each month is all about professional readiness–like the importance of being on time, how to make a strong first impression, and more.
Price initially had a waiting list for the program, which accepted 15 participants. However, several students struggle to attend regularly, as they face barriers like transportation. Price is working to secure a van so that by the time Young Influencers accepts its second cohort in 2026, he can pick up participants at their homes.
Price’s next goal for the organization, after year two of their Young Influencers program, is to begin working with incarcerated individuals who are preparing to transition out of the prison system.
“It’s called the Next Me Is the Best Me, and I’ve already developed the curriculum for a 12-week program,” Price said. “We have to run the pilot year of Young Influencers, made adjustments for next year to address any barriers, and then we’ll be ready to focus on that.”
To learn more about Felons Ain’t Failures or support their work, visit their website.