Catalytic chain transfer is found to be useful for making telechelic oligomers with a variety of initiating groups in a one-step reaction procedure. Two olefinic components are required, the first being a normal free-radical-polymerizable monomer such as a methacrylate. The second is a vicinal or other olefin generally considered to be unreactive in free radical polymerizations. Under conditions of radical polymerization in the presence of a CCT catalyst, the copolymer that results incorporates predominantly one molecule of the second component at the initiation of each polymer chain. The terminal end group is a geminal double bond. This geminal-disubstituted end group is radically polymerizable and would allow the preparation of functionalized arms on graft polymers.