N-Heterocyclic olefins (NHOs), the alkylidene derivatives of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), have recently emerged as a new family of promising organocatalysts with strong nucleophilicity and Brønsted basicity. The development of a novel method is shown using NHOs as efficient promoters for the direct dehydrogenative silylation of alcohols or hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds. Preliminary results of the first NHO-promoted asymmetric synthesis are also discussed.