Do For One’s approach to Relationship-Based Advocacy
What is LFO? • Course • Video • FAQ • Special Events
Is this for you?
Do you regularly engage with people on the margins, experiencing isolation, through your work, voluntary commitments, or personal life?
Have you ever felt frustrated by your own limitations to support those around you well?
What if the answer isn’t doing more, but directing your time and energy toward creating the conditions for a community of mutual, one-to-one care?
What is Lead For One?
This four-session course teaches you how to build and support voluntary, one-to-one, and enduring relationships across societal barriers alongside a close-knit learning community.
The course integrates the theology, philosophy, social theory, and practiced wisdom needed to reweave the social fabric of your community with clarity and a moral imagination.
Join the Next Cohort!
The 2026 cohort is in session! Interested in joining us in 2027?
Sessions meet on Saturdays at a venue in Midtown East, New York City, 9:30 AM–2:30 PM. Cohorts are small and selective — an application and interview are required.
Accepted members must attend all four sessions in full.
The 2027 dates are:
March 6th, 2027
May 22nd 2027
September 18th, 2027
November 6th, 2027
To apply or learn more, email makenna@doforone.org
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Valuing People Through Inherent Dignity vs. Capacity
DATE: 3/6/27
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Guiding Principles for Relationship-based Advocacy
DATE: 05/22/2027
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Crafting a Compelling Invitation Through Intentional, One-to-One Relationship-Building
DATE: 09/18/2027
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Supporting relationships that foster human flourishing as communities grow in strength and diversity.
DATE: 11/06/2027
This course was created and is led by Andrew Oliver, founder and director of Do For One, a New York City–based organization that facilitates one-to-one relationships between isolated people and supportive neighbors who enjoy a more socially included life. Andrew brings over 20 years of experience helping people with disabilities and other marginalized groups build belonging through relationships and community life.
The course provides tools and insights to build freely-given, lasting relationships for people who experience isolation. While the focus is on individuals with mental and physical impairments, its principles extend to anyone marginalized or excluded.
Grounded in Citizen Advocacy, Social Role Valorization, Asset-Based Community Development, Personalism, and The Beloved Community, LFO equips leaders to foster real-world social change.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Once accepted, tuition costs $200, which covers the cost of the venue, printed materials, and hospitality expenses for all 4 sessions. Scholarships may be available upon request.
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Yes, accepted cohort members should attend all 4 sessions in full. If you have a concern about this or a special circumstance, please reach out.
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No. You will be provided with reflective questions in between sessions but there is no extensive reading or projects. You’ll also be paired with a cohort member after each session and encouraged to connect over coffee or a call to discuss the material.
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People who strongly believe in the power of freely given relationships across barriers and who want to lead social change with moral clarity, integrity, and coherence.
Parents wanting to build freely given relationships for their child
Faith leaders aiming to better include marginalized members
Do For One Advocates seeking to build community around their Partner
Direct support workers focused on relationship building
Ministry leaders who engage regularly with people on the margins but are struggling to release the role of care to other
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One person who leads a ministry in a nursing home has begun inviting volunteers into freely given relationships with nursing home residents
New relationship building programs for people with disabilities have taken off in others states, as well as within NYC-based churches and non-profits
One person who volunteers among people who are unhoused is exploring ways to connect people into freely given relationships
What Participants Are Saying
“As a [former] special ed teacher, I had a lot of unlearning to do.”
“A template to accomplish exactly what we felt God was calling us to do.”
“Equipped us to start creating matches within our own community.”