Private contributors have given $5.9 million so far to a fundraising campaign for The Greater Richmond Partnership Inc., an economic development organization for the city of Richmond and Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield counties.

The contributions are about two-thirds of the $9 million that the partnership wants to raise from the business community to finance its work for five years starting in 2009.

The partnership is a not-for-profit organization that recruits businesses to the Richmond area, promotes the region internationally and helps existing businesses with expansion projects. The group is seeking $18 million to pay for its operations from 2009 to 2014. Half of the money would come from private contributors and half from local governments.

Tonight, the partnership officially kicked off the public part of its fundraising campaign at the state Capitol. The contributions received so far have come from past investors who were asked to renew their commitments before the public campaign started.

More than 100 local government officials, business and civic leaders attended the kick-off.

"We are optimistic that we can reach the goals we have set, even in the tough [economic] environment we are in now," said Bobby S. Ukrop, president and chief executive of Ukrop's Super Markets Inc. and co-chairman of the fundraising campaign.