The NICER Foundation was established in 2015 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit Corporation. 

The name “NICER” is an acronym meaning “Narcoleptics In Crisis Emergency Relief”. The original, primary mission of the NICER Foundation was to make one time, small cash grants to narcoleptics experiencing sudden financial crises where the grants will either resolve the issues immediately or provide temporary resolutions which would allow the grantees time to obtain other assistance or make other arrangements. 

For example, our first grant was to someone being evicted from their apartment. With that grant money, they were able to make the first payment on a storage bin and rent a moving van, thereby avoiding having their belongings set out on the curb. 

The foundation made a number of grants during its first several years. However, after a while it became clear that institutional funding was not going to be available for this operational model.  Nor, with the exception of a few special individuals, did it seem that people interested in donating money that would wind up in the hands of others. 

While I remain committed to our original mission and will still make grants to qualified applicants as our meager funds allow, the model is not sustainable at scale. 

Making these grants was NICER’s primary mission. However, I did have in mind from the outset to be engaged in other activities aimed at improving the lives of other People With Narcolepsy (PWN).

For example, I have worked on behalf of a number of PWN to help them with insurance problems, legal issues, and so forth by providing information and writing letters. Another thing I’ve done is to work towards helping the medical establishment have better interactions with PWN. I’ve done that by getting articles published in medical journals, written with the intention of educating clinicians about our particular issues. 

Lately, I have a few other things I’m looking into.

This site is slowly being redeveloped.  More content will appear eventually.  Please check back in from time to time.

Moshe Turner

Please direct all inquiries to mturner@nicer.ngo