The Institute is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit formed in 1989 that has supported emerging artists and promoted artistic attempts to challenge the status quo. By sponsoring "unpopular" artistic visions, IFUC helps to alleviate artists' needs to cater to public taste and opinion in order to survive. Voted “Best Organization to Support Your Art” in the S.F. Bay Guardian's 1998 “Best of the Bay” Awards, IFUC has supported include Obie-award winning performance artist Holly Hughes, environmental activist Julia "Butterfly" Hill, The Sprocket Ensemble, Creativity Explored S.F., and painter Hawk Alfredson.

David Ferguson, the founder and executive director of the Institute for Unpopular Culture, has been an international outsider-culture impresario since the 1970s. The long list of notable dissenters with whom he has worked include Divine, painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, and conceptual artist Nicolino ("Bras Across the Grand Canyon"). Through his seminal punk label CD Presents, Ltd., (founded in 1978, currently classicpunk.com) David produced, managed, and directed the careers of musicians like Johnny Rotten (Public Image, Ltd.), Billy Bragg,
The Avengers, Lydia Lunch, and Henry Rollins. David also operated a lecture agency in the 1970s which represented the Black Panther Party, Paul Krassner (founder of the Yippie Party), Stewart Brand (founder of the Whole Earth catalogue), and poet Michael McClure.

As part of it's efforts to stimulate quality culture iShine has established a deep collaborative relationship with the IFUC and David Ferguson. iShine provides funding for the Institute's projects, donates and lends Macintosh equipment and volunteers computer technical support, business mentoring, production, fundraising and PR assistance, as well as digital photography services.