Demi Lovato raising money for mental illness in honor of late father

Singer Demi Lovato is helping to raise money for mental illness charities to honor her late father.

The Skyscraper hitmaker, who suffers from bipolar disorder, lost her father in 2013. He also suffered from a mental disease and she is now partnering with organizers at Regular Hero to raise money for her Lovato Treatment Scholarship Program.

She tells People.com, "Mental illness can affect anyone, and although help is available, it often goes untreated.

"This holiday season, I'm so excited to raise awareness to a cause that is close to my heart by inspiring others to seek the help that they need and encouraging folks to give back to those who can't afford treatment."

Lovato founded the scholarship program after the death of her father, who she was estranged from.

In a video on Facebook.com, she says, "That program came about when I lost my birth father. He suffered from mental illness. I believe that it was actually bipolar-schizophrenic, and he didn't have the resources that he needed to get help.

'In honor of my dad and other people that couldn't afford mental healthcare, I wanted to create a way for people to help others get the help that they need."