You already know that charitable giving has dropped as the recession has deepened, and yet: Despite the high unemployment numbers, despite the hit on our retirement funds, and despite the tight credit markets, ever-generous Americans are still determined to give to their favorite charities during the holidays.

We may be poorer, but we’re not dumber: We know non-profits need the cash more than ever.

Mark Bucher, founder of BGR: The Burger Joint chain, has devised a painless way for you to contribute this holiday season. Go eat one of his burgers, at any of his three locations in the metro area. BGR will then donate a burger to D.C. Central Kitchen. The offer lasts through Dec. 31.

Perhaps you think that donating a burger to the hungry isn’t the smartest move, given the recent hysteria over ground beef.  Well, you can rest easy. Bucher has tapped into a supply line that provides his stores with some of the best, steakhouse-quality ground beef you’ll find in the area.

Just to double-check that the quality hadn’t dropped with the recent opening of BGR’s third store on Dupont Circle, I made a quick visit to the new location. The verdict? Better than ever. Seriously. Juicy. Cooked to temperature. Rich. Charred. So good I wanted another immediately afterward.