Your TL;DR: Christine Howard being named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Buffalo District Financial Services Champion of the Year is more than an individual achievement. It reflects years of hard work from the entire EBHC team and the trust clients place in the work being done behind the scenes every day.
Christine Howard had been selected as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Buffalo District Financial Services Champion of the Year during National Small Business Week. The recognition followed a competitive nomination and review process through the SBA Buffalo District Office.
While the award includes Christine’s name, this recognition reflects something much bigger than one person.
At EBHC, the work has always been collaborative. Every funding strategy, proposal, research project, and evaluation effort involves a team working together to guide clients through complicated funding environments. Success in this field rarely comes from one moment or one project. It comes from consistency, attention to detail, and years of experience understanding how funding decisions are made. That is what makes this recognition meaningful. The SBA highlighted not only business success, but also community impact and leadership. Those things are built over time through relationships, trust, and the ability to deliver thoughtful work under pressure. If your organization is considering how to strengthen its own funding strategy, it is worth looking beyond announcements and focusing on the systems and people that create long-term success.
Why This Recognition Matters
Funding and grant work can seem straightforward from the outside. Most people only see the final result, whether that is funding secured or a project launched. What they often do not see are the long hours spent researching opportunities, refining strategies, reviewing requirements, building partnerships, and making sure projects are positioned realistically before applications are submitted. Small details matter in this work. A weak evaluation plan, unclear project goals, or poor alignment with agency priorities can quickly weaken an otherwise strong proposal. The EBHC team has spent years learning how these systems work and how organizations can better prepare themselves for funding opportunities that are becoming more competitive every year.
A Win for the Entire Team
Recognition like this validates the hard work happening behind the scenes every day at EBHC. It reflects the researchers, writers, strategists, evaluators, and operational staff who continue showing up for clients and supporting projects that matter to communities, innovators, and organizations across the country.
Christine’s recognition by the SBA is deeply appreciated, but the bigger story is what it says about the team behind the work. Strong organizations are built through consistency, collaboration, and trust over time. That is the part worth celebrating most.
For over 60 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation in observance of National Small Business Week to recognize small businesses as the trailblazers and builders of America’s economy. The SBA knows that small business is big business – which is why, over the last year, we have worked to cut regulations, establish fair trade, and enact Working Family Tax Cuts that have already restored jobs, opportunity, and growth on Main Street. This year’s NSBW celebration is particularly historic as our nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, when our Founding Fathers laid the groundwork for the liberty that powers the engine of free enterprise. The result is our nation’s prosperity and entrepreneurial spirit – the very spirit your leadership exemplifies. – SBA
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We assist our clients in locating, applying for, and evaluating the outcomes of non-dilutive grant funding. We believe non-dilutive funding is a crucial tool for mitigating investment risks, and we are dedicated to guiding our clients through the entire process—from identifying the most suitable opportunities to submitting and managing grant applications.