J.K. Rowling established Lumos to help children affected by institutionalisation.
The organization was founded in 2005 as the Children’s High Level Group and later became Lumos. Its work focuses on ending the institutionalisation of children and supporting family- and community-based care instead.
Lumos takes its name from a light-producing spell in the Harry Potter stories. The charity’s mission is separate from the fictional world: it works on child-protection systems, family support, deinstitutionalisation, and reforms intended to keep children safe in families or family-like settings.
The organization’s name changed to Lumos in 2010. Rowling’s involvement is one reason the charity is often mentioned in biographies of her philanthropic work, alongside her support for multiple other causes. Lumos is not a children’s hospital or a Harry Potter fan organization.