J.K. Rowling’s charity, founded in 2005 to help disadvantaged children, is called Lumos.
Rowling established the organization after becoming concerned about children living in institutions and separated from family care. It was originally known as the Children’s High Level Group, a name connected with a parliamentary initiative involving children in Eastern Europe. The organization later adopted the name Lumos, inspired by the Harry Potter spell that produces light.
Lumos campaigns for children to be supported in families and communities rather than placed in large residential institutions. Its work has included advocacy, research, and cooperation with governments and local organizations. The charity’s central argument is that institutional care can harm children’s development and should be replaced where safe family-based alternatives are possible.
Lumos is distinct from Rowling’s personal charitable giving and from fictional organizations in the Harry Potter books. The charity’s name is sometimes mistaken for a publishing imprint or a magical-world reference only, but it is a real international organization focused on children’s welfare.