For educators interested in engaging in critical literacy work with families and schools, the efforts can be both exhilarating and exasperating. Reflecting on a two-year family literacy project, we consider the possibilities and pitfalls of the projects' design and implementation. The work described in this article takes a stance that is both critical and grounded in the notion of "funds of knowledge." We propose a framework to assist in the creation and evaluation of family literacy projects and examine its application to our own efforts. Finally, we suggest that those preparing or administering a project designed to promote family literacy consider more rigorously the membership of a planning team and the impact that team can have on the project. (Contains 1 figure.)