J.K. Rowling founded the charitable organization Lumos to help vulnerable children.
Lumos was established in 2005 under the name Children’s High Level Group, after Rowling became concerned about children living in institutions. It was renamed Lumos in 2010, taking its name from the Harry Potter spell that produces light.
The organization works to end the institutionalization of children and promote family-based care. Its projects have included work with governments, local services, families, and communities in several countries. The charity’s central argument is that children generally do better in safe family environments than in large residential institutions.
Lumos is a real-world organization, not a fictional institution from the Harry Potter books. The name can therefore be confused with the series’ wand-lighting spell, “Lumos,” but the charity uses that literary reference as a symbol of hope and positive change.