J.K. Rowling established the charity Lumos in 2005.
The organization was originally founded as the Children’s High Level Group, after Rowling became concerned about children living in institutions. It later adopted the name Lumos, referring to a light-producing spell in the Harry Potter books and symbolizing the charity’s aim to bring children out of institutional care.
Lumos works internationally to promote family-based care and help governments replace institutions with community services. Its focus includes children separated from families, children with disabilities, and young people exposed to harmful residential systems.
Lumos is not a literary society or a Harry Potter fan organization. Its work is centered on child welfare and systemic reform. The charity’s name is connected to Rowling’s fiction, but its programs address real-world care, education, health, and protection needs.