J.K. Rowling co-founded the charity Lumos to help vulnerable children worldwide.
Rowling established Lumos in 2005 after reading about children living in institutions in Eastern Europe. The organization was originally called the Children’s High Level Group and later adopted the name Lumos, drawn from a light-related spell in the Harry Potter books. Its work focuses on replacing harmful institutional care with family- and community-based support.
Lumos campaigns for children’s rights and works with governments, professionals, families, and local organizations. Its central argument is that children should grow up in safe family environments whenever possible, rather than being separated from family and placed in large residential institutions.
The charity’s name is sometimes mistaken for a fictional Hogwarts organization. Lumos is a real nonprofit, while “Lumos” is also the name of a wand-lighting spell in Rowling’s wizarding world. Rowling has used her public profile and philanthropic giving to support the charity’s campaigns.