Profiles of eight charities

Thousands of worthy organizations seek your charitable dollars thisseason; here are eight of the best known and most important: Neediest Families' Christmas Fund: Using donated administrativetime, the fund channels 100 percent of every dollar it receives topublic aid families selected by caseworkers. The aid comes in theform of direct cash grants - as much as $100 per family - for holidayneeds. Sponsors: Illinois Department of Public Aid and First National Bankof Chicago. Size: $24 million in holiday cheer passed along during the past 21years. On the $100 limit: "It may not sound like much," said Mike Ward, ofthe Department of Public Aid, but "it certainly can make thedifference …